The Millennium, Final Judgments, & Eternity, The third of three studies of The Revelation of Jesus Christ
by Paige Ramsey
The Millennial Finale and Judgment Day – Lesson 5
The Millennial Finale
Revelation 20:7-10
And when the thousand years are expired, Satan shall be loosed out of his prison, and shall go out to deceive the nations which are in the four quarters of the earth, Gog and Magog, to gather them together to battle: the number of whom is as the sand of the sea. And they went up on the breadth of the earth, and compassed the camp of the saints about, and the beloved city: and fire came down from God out of heaven, and devoured them. And the devil that deceived them was cast into the lake of fire and brimstone, where the beast and the false prophet are, and shall be tormented day and night for ever and ever.
Satan is Loosed
God sets Satan free from his prison. Remember, he was bound for the duration of the Millennial Reign of Christ in the bottomless pit, very likely located in the center of the earth where he could not negatively influence any of the people living on the earth. Now God allows Satan to deceive people once again – for “a little season.” How long is “a little season?” A few months? A year? Ten years? One hundred years? God does not pin point the exact amount of time like He did with the one-thousand years. But, common sense might suggest a time period of ten to fifty years – perhaps up to one hundred years – “a little season” compared to the thousand year reign. Many people have wondered, “Why in this world would God allow that snake to deceive people once again?!” According to Dr. Dan Cozart, there are at least three reasons[i]:
Satan’s Final Demise
After Satan has made his final attempt to overthrow God Almighty by deceiving multitudes of people “the number of whom is as the sand of the sea,” leading them to come against the saints (those who are true born-again believers) and surround the beloved city (Jerusalem – where Jesus Christ sits on the throne), God brings down fire from heaven and destroys all of them. Gog is the name borrowed from Ezekiel 38:1 to represent the leader (or anti-christ) of the army and Magog is the nation of unbelievers who follows this leader.[xv] Just one blow from His nostrils is all it takes. Satan, with all his intelligence, should know by now that he is no match for God, but he is so proud, vindictive, and selfish that he cannot help himself and has absolutely no concern for all those who have followed his deceptive manipulation. The final masses of unbelievers, deceived by Satan, have met their physical doom.
Then, Jesus puts His hand on Satan himself and throws him in the Lake of Fire (Gehenna) where the beast and the false prophet have been since before Christ’s thousand year reign began. This is the place most people refer to as “hell.” Eternal torment – forever burning yet never burning up. This place was prepared specifically for the devil (Satan) and his angels (demons).[xvi] This is the fulfillment of God’s promise in Genesis 3:15.
The Great White Throne Judgment
Revelation 20:11-15
And I saw a great white throne, and him that sat on it, from whose face the earth and the heaven fled away; and there was found no place for them. And I saw the dead, small and great, stand before God; and the books were opened: and another book was opened, which is the book of life: and the dead were judged out of those things which were written in the books, according to their works. And the sea gave up the dead which were in it; and death and hell delivered up the dead which were in them: and they were judged every man according to their works. And death and hell were cast into the lake of fire. This is the second death. And whosoever was not found written in the book of life was cast into the lake of fire.
The Judgments
Judgment Day is a concept most people have misunderstood for ages. Most people visualize everyone standing before God in an elaborate courtroom waiting for their turn, hoping they have done enough right things to outweigh the bad things in their lives so they can enter into heaven. That scene will never happen. Theologians refer to it as a “General Judgment,” but there is no support for it in Scripture. There are several Judgments.
The Judgment of Sin for Believers
This judgment occurred at Calvary. Jesus, who had no sin, became sin for us[xvii], died and went to Sheol-Hades[xviii] – even to the lowest part[xix] to pay for our sin. He took the keys of Hell and Death[xx] and rose again so those who believe on Him (trust His death & resurrection and place their life in His hands) could have eternal life.[xxi]
The Bema (Judgment Seat) of Christ
The believers who are part of the first resurrection will stand before Christ at the Judgment Seat (Bema) of Christ where their works (not sins) will be judged.[xxii] The believer’s sin was judged at Calvary where Jesus paid the price so they could go free. So, the judgment of believers does not decide their eternity – it decides their rewards. Any work that is not pure will be destroyed, and any work that is pure will be rewarded. If no work can be rewarded, the believer will still be saved.[xxiii] Unbelievers will not be present at the Judgment Seat (Bema) of Christ. There will be degrees and positions in eternity, and what we do on this earth in this lifetime will determine the positions and privileges we have in eternity.
The Great White Throne Judgment
Unbelievers went to Sheol-Hades to wait for their judgment because they refused to believe on Christ for the payment of their sin. Their Judge will now judge their sin at the Great White Throne Judgment. Eternal death is the payment for sin, and they must make that payment. Their spirit is already dead – from birth. Their bodies died when they experienced death on the earth, but God will resurrect their bodies to stand before Him. “How can this be?” you might ask. “After all, the bodies have returned to dust. Some have been eaten by wild animals or sea creatures.” Believe me, God knows where all the particle are located. He can command them, and they will all come back together again. Nothing is impossible with God. So, the bodies reunite with the souls that came from Sheol-Hades. And God will call them to the Great White Throne after the Millennial Reign of Christ has ended and Satan has been thrown into the Lake of Fire.
There is no hope for those who stand before the Great White Throne at this time. In John 3:18, Jesus says, “He that believes on Him is not condemned: but he that believes not is condemned already, because he has not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God.” Really, they are already convicted and have been condemned to die – they are merely waiting for their execution. Their Judge, the Lord Jesus Christ, will prove that they deserve to be damned. Some will think they deserve to go to heaven and beg because they had done some great things in the name of the Lord, but their Judge will tell them He never knew them. The tax collector/disciple, Matthew, gives us this quote from the lips of our Lord:
“Not everyone who says to Me, Lord, Lord, shall enter into the kingdom of heaven; but he who does the will of my Father which is in heaven. Many will say to Me in that day, Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in Your name? and in Your name have cast out devils? and in Your name done many wonderful works? And then will I profess to them, I never knew you: depart from Me, you who work iniquity.[xxiv]
This implies Sunday school teachers, youth workers, children’s ministers, pastors, music ministers, evangelists, healers, missionaries, and others who have done wonderful works. These are people who had success, perhaps making a name for themselves in Christian circles. They’ve raised money, preached eloquent sermons, and gathered a great following of people, but they never came to know the Lord. They studied and knew the right answers. They had charisma to win the favor of many people who were awed and patterned their lives after them. Wow! What accomplishments they made! And yet, it was in vain. All that work was a work of iniquity – sin.
They were sincere. They were fruitful. They were successful – but they forgot to humble themselves. They were too proud to admit their own sin. They couldn’t completely put their trust in the very Christ they taught others to trust. This is the saddest situation in Scripture to me. I think of hell filled with murderers, rapists, thieves, child molesters, and vulgar mouthed haters of God. But among them will be those who lived good lives, and stood for the truth of God’s Word. They saw that they could build a great career while doing good in the world. They could gain recognition and lead the people but they never heard the voice of a Savior calling them to turn from their sin.
Donating money to good causes does not pay for your sins. Many people have made that wrong assumption. Good works, regardless of how loving, selfless, accomplishing, abundant, or sincere will never pay for your sin. Death is the only payment for sin.[xxv] Jesus did many wonderful good works. He healed the sick, made the maimed whole, comforted the broken hearted, gave hope to the hopeless, raised the dead, and fed the hungry. Jesus taught us to care for our neighbors and then made the distinction that our neighbors included all of humanity. He taught love and forgiveness. But the main work Jesus came to this earth to accomplish was to pay the price for the sin of mankind. He provided a way so that those who would trust in (believe) His sacrifice could be exempted from paying the price for sin. If you miss that, you’ve missed it all.
Yes, Jesus taught us to make this world a brighter place to live, but He knew this was a cursed earth and was more concerned with providing eternal life. I personally know many people who truly embrace a good, moral, giving, and loving lifestyle. They would give all they had to help others. They make those around them feel happy and loved. Yet they do not know the Lord in a personal relationship. They follow His teachings, but refuse to believe He is the only way to heaven. They want, with all their understanding, for everyone ever born in this world to be saved and live eternally. A nice thought, but God’s Word here in this passage tells us that cannot be true. So, some people refuse to completely trust in Christ’s sacrifice.
It’s amazing how many times I’ve heard something along this line of thinking: “If we love the Higher Being, whatever name we want to use, and love our neighbor to the best of our ability, we’re going to be alright. After all, that’s what Jesus taught in a nutshell.” I cringe to think how many people have heard this lie and have swallowed it as the gospel. What Jesus said: “You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your mind. This is the first and great commandment. And the second is like unto it, you shalt love your neighbor as yourself. On these two commandments hang all the law and the prophets.”[xxvi] And he also said, “I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man comes to the Father, but by Me.”[xxvii]
A Great Attendance
This judgment will be a great judgment. It will be great in attendance – many more people will stand before God in this judgment than any other judgment. How do I know this? Jesus in Matthew 7:13-14 states: “Enter in at the strait gate: for wide is the gate, and broad is the way, that leads to destruction, and many there be which go in thereat: Because strait is the gate, and narrow is the way, which leads to life, and few there be that find it.” It will be very great in attendance.
A Great Justice
This judgment will be great in justice. Many times our human courts are not just. The jury often does not have all the facts. For various reasons, some facts cannot be given in court. Motives are only circumstantial evidence as no one can determine if a particular motive caused a person to act upon it or not. However, this court will be completely just. Nothing is hidden from this Judge. He knows the heart. He knows the thoughts. Everyone will get exactly what he or she deserves.
This is NOT what you want! Please understand this! You do not want what you deserve. The Law is set. The penalty for sin is death. You are in sin. The only payment possible for you to escape is the death and resurrection of the Lord Jesus Christ. He died to pay for your sins and He rose again to give you eternal life! Justice, however good it sounds, will not be good for you. You need grace. And grace is what Jesus offers. You do not deserve eternal life, and you never will deserve it. But God has provided eternal life for you through His Son, the Lord Jesus Christ, if you are willing to admit that you do not deserve it because you are dead in your sins and have no hope apart from Christ and you believe His death and resurrection will pay for your sin in full. It doesn’t even matter what you’ve done. God will forgive it! By trusting Him completely, you submit to His Lordship in your life – you no longer belong to yourself – you belong to Him. Those who believe escape justice at the Great White Throne.
God’s justice will be absolute. There are degrees of punishment in eternal hell.[xxviii] Those who have never heard the gospel will be judged to a lesser degree than those who blatantly refuse the gospel after many opportunities to repent. Everyone still must give an account, because God declared Himself in nature: the very stars declare His glory.[xxix] A man can look at the wonderment of nature and know there is a God.
Missionaries time after time tell how God spoke to their hearts, giving them a specific burden to take the gospel to a particular place. Doors miraculously opened for the journey. God’s people gave money to complete the mission. Once there, they found people burdened for the truth – people who realized there was a God and desired to know Him. God will always provide a way for someone to know the Way, the Truth and the Life if he or she hears the voice of the Savior. He will leave the ninety-nine and go find that one lost lamb![xxx] But one who lives in a land where no truth is taught, and refuses to acknowledge the Creator is still spiritually dead. To die in that state, he or she must pay the price, and our just God provides individualized punishments to fit each case. This in no way makes hell attractive. Even the best in the Lake of Fire cannot begin to compare to the very least in eternal life!
“I’ve often said, ‘If I had to go to hell, and I’m so thankful that I don’t have to go to hell because of what Christ did. But if I had to go to hell, I believe I’d rather go to hell from the darkest continent of Africa than to go to hell from the United States of America.’ Because I have more light and I’ve been exposed to more light, and God will judge people on the basis of the light they have received.”[xxxi]
The Books
There are record books in heaven of every utterance that comes out of our mouths, every thought that we ponder, and every deed done. There is one for me. There is one for you. There is one for every person who has ever lived upon this earth. God keeps these records to fulfill justice. Those who stand before God at the Great White Throne will see their record book open. They will not be able to deny any deed, thought, or intention, because it will all be clearly seen.
Sixty-six books make up the Word of God. We call it a Bible. The word bible means books – a collection of books. These books will be opened. The deeds of the dead will be measured by the Word of God to prove that sin is present and has been committed. One sin is all that is needed for condemnation. James 2:10 states: For whosoever shall keep the whole law, and yet offend in one point, he is guilty of all.
The Book of Life will also be opened. In this book, all who ever were born physically were recorded. When one died without Christ, his or her name is blotted out of the Book of Life because they did not receive Christ’s payment for their sin.[xxxii] They died physically while they were still Spiritually dead, so now there is no hope for life. When Christ looks for their name in the Book of Life, it will not be there.
There is another book called the Lamb’s Book of Life or the Book of Life of the Lamb. It may or may not be present at the Great White Throne, as God’s Word doesn’t specify. In this book, the names of the children of God are written. The two books, the Book of Life and the Lamb’s Book of Life will be identical at the Great White Throne Judgment. Those who did not receive Christ will be removed from the Book of Life, leaving only those who received Christ. Then, all those who received Christ are written in the Lamb’s Book of Life. So, after all the years of time – from the sixth day when God created Adam to the end of the Millennial Reign of Christ – these two books will tally perfectly, providing a check and balance system.
The Second Death – The Last Enemy Destroyed
God throws everyone whose name did not appear in the Book of Life into the Lake of Fire. Although this place was prepared for the Devil and his angels, there is no other place for them. This is the second death.
1 Corinthians 15:26 tells us: The last enemy that shall be destroyed is Death. Death has been our enemy from the day Adam and Eve sinned. Death has separated us from our loved ones and brought us grief. Many people have allowed Death to strip them of any joy, wrapping them in depression and despair.
Our bodies are continually dying each and every moment we are here on this earth until death completely overtakes them. Just this week, we said goodbye for now to a very dear friend who went to be with the Lord. Her family, each one faithfully serving the Lord, learned from her consistent walk and strong faith. Now, they must continue to face the world without her, leaning upon the Lord she reflected so beautifully. We will all miss Linda Murphy, yet we can rejoice that we know our wonderful Lord has conquered death! Linda is not a part of the second death – like all who have trusted in Jesus, she has life everlasting because Christ died in her place! We have no reason to fear the passing of this life. However, it is hard to watch a loved one suffer with a body writhing in pain before that final moment of rescue into the arms of Jesus. It is hard to say goodbye to a loved one knowing we must stay here to fight the fight without them. Death is indeed a very real and present enemy. But this will be the final end of Death! Death and Hell (Sheol-Hades) will be thrown into the Lake of Fire to perish forever. Praise God! No more Death!!
The Great White Throne Judgment is a necessary albeit an intolerable and painful judgment. I do not think I could bear being present at this judgment. I hope you will examine your salvation and make it sure in Christ. “Open my eyes, Lord! I want to see Jesus! To reach out and touch Him and say that I love Him! Open my ears, Lord! And help me to listen! Open my eyes, Lord! I want to see Jesus!”[xxxiii]
[i] Cozart, Dr. Dan W., Sermon: “The Great White Throne Judgment”, Grace Baptist Church, Tyler, TX, May 16, 2010.
[ii] Revelation 12:7-9this wrong assumption
[iii] Genesis 3:1-24
[iv] Genesis 4:1-10
[v] Genesis 6:1-7
[vi] Genesis 25:21-34; 27:1-35
[vii] Esther 3:6
[viii] Matthew 4:1-11
[ix] Matthew 26:36-45
[x] Luke 23:35-39
[xi] Matthew 27:62-66
[xii] Revelation 17:1-18
[xiii] Revelation 19:17-19
[xiv] Revelation 20:7-9
[xv] Gill, Dr. John, (1690-1771), John Gill’s Exposition of the Entire Bible, Revelation 20:8.
[xvi] Matthew 25:41
[xvii] 2 Corinthians 5:21
[xviii] Acts 2:27, 31
[xix] 1 Peter 3:19-20; 2 Peter 2:4
[xx] Revelation 1:18
[xxi] John 3:16
[xxii] 2 Corinthians 5:10
[xxiii] 1 Corinthians 3:13-15; Matthew 16:27; Romans 14:10; Ephesians 6:8; 2 Timothy 4:8; Galatians 6:7; Colossians 3:24-25; Revelation 22:12
[xxiv] Matthew 7:21-23
[xxv] Romans 6:23, Hebrews 9:22
[xxvi] Matthew 22:37-40
[xxvii] John 14:6
[xxviii] Deut 32:22; Ps 86:13; Matthew 11:21-24; 23:14-15; Mark 12:40; Luke 12:46-48; 20:47; James 3:1
[xxix] Romans 1:18-25
[xxx] Luke 15:4-7
[xxxi] Cozart, Dr. Dan W., Sermon: “The Great White Throne Judgment”, Grace Baptist Church, Tyler, TX, May 16, 2010.
[xxxii] Revelation 3:5 -Also see Exodus 32:31-35 and Exodus 9:14
[xxxiii] Author: Bob Cull, https://us.songselect.com/songs/1572/open-our-eyes, 10/1/14, recorded by Maranatha Singers, 8/18/09, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oZsZkB-HcyE.
Revelation 20:7-10
And when the thousand years are expired, Satan shall be loosed out of his prison, and shall go out to deceive the nations which are in the four quarters of the earth, Gog and Magog, to gather them together to battle: the number of whom is as the sand of the sea. And they went up on the breadth of the earth, and compassed the camp of the saints about, and the beloved city: and fire came down from God out of heaven, and devoured them. And the devil that deceived them was cast into the lake of fire and brimstone, where the beast and the false prophet are, and shall be tormented day and night for ever and ever.
Satan is Loosed
God sets Satan free from his prison. Remember, he was bound for the duration of the Millennial Reign of Christ in the bottomless pit, very likely located in the center of the earth where he could not negatively influence any of the people living on the earth. Now God allows Satan to deceive people once again – for “a little season.” How long is “a little season?” A few months? A year? Ten years? One hundred years? God does not pin point the exact amount of time like He did with the one-thousand years. But, common sense might suggest a time period of ten to fifty years – perhaps up to one hundred years – “a little season” compared to the thousand year reign. Many people have wondered, “Why in this world would God allow that snake to deceive people once again?!” According to Dr. Dan Cozart, there are at least three reasons[i]:
- To prove Satan is completely incorrigible – impossible to rehabilitate. After being secluded with his thoughts for a thousand years, Satan still has not mellowed. He still wants to fight and overthrow God Almighty. He hasn’t repented or even felt sorry for the evil he has done toward God or the human race. There is no hope for restoring him to his once glorious state.
- To prove the need for the new birth. Even after a thousand year rule of Christ with a rod of iron, mankind’s old nature still exists! Although the crime rate has been zero, hunger has been wiped off the planet, there has been no disease, no violence, man and beast have been living together in harmony, men and women are still looking for something to blame God. They want to get out from under His control. They want to go their own way and do their own thing. Men and women like to blame God for many things, and they will only submit to the Lordship of Jesus Christ when they hear the voice of their Savior and are born-again! Making the world right does not make the heart of man right. Men and women need a new birth – a birth into the Spiritual world – to be right with God and live with Him forever.
- To prove the ingratitude of mankind. There are 132 references in God’s Word for thank, thanks, thankful, thankfulness, or thanksgiving. Being unthankful is listed in 2 Timothy 3:2-5 – “For men shall be lovers of their own selves, covetous, boasters, proud, blasphemers, disobedient to parents, unthankful, unholy, without natural affection, trucebreakers, false accusers, incontinent, fierce, despisers of those that are good, Traitors, heady, highminded, lovers of pleasures more than lovers of God; having a form of godliness, but denying the power thereof: from such turn away.” God wants His people to be thankful people. (I learned something from this study – only four of the 132 references indicated giving thanks to someone other than God. Wow! It occurs to me that if we are truly thankful toward God, we will be thankful toward others as well.) – At the end of the wonderful reign of Christ, mankind shows no gratitude. No amount of bestowing love or providing and caring for mankind will cause them to be thankful. After a thousand years of peace and prosperity, men will refuse to be thankful and turn their backs on Christ.
- Satan tried to overthrow God – God kicked him out of heaven.[ii]
- He deceived Adam and Eve, causing the fall of mankind, God’s most precious creation.[iii]
- He made a murderer out of Cain, trying to stop the blood sacrifices.[iv]
- He tried to thwart the very DNA of mankind so that a pure, perfect Savior could never come, resulting in God sending the Great Flood to destroy all life and start over.[v]
- He tried to prevent Jacob’s blessing through a conflict with Esau in the womb, and caused Esau to prevail in becoming the first-born – but God in His providence lead Rebekah to help Jacob steal the birthright and the blessing.[vi]
- He tried to obliterate the Hebrew race in Esther’s day, and many other occasions.[vii]
- He tried to get Jesus to sin so that He could not be the Savior.[viii]
- He tried to get Jesus to back out of dying on the cross in the Garden of Gethsemane.[ix]
- He tried to get Christ to come down from the cross.[x]
- He tried to keep Jesus’ soul and Spirit in Sheol-Hades and His body in the tomb.[xi]
- He persecuted and tried to annihilate the church with the Roman government and in the Roman games.
- He tried to destroy the true church by infiltrating it and establishing a false church.[xii]
- He continuously tries to rob members of the church of the joy of their salvation and their influence in the world.
- He continuously tries to discredit the Word of God and the church in the world.
- He will try to prevent the 2nd Coming and the establishment of Christ’s Kingdom by gathering an army to overthrow God.[xiii]
- He will finally try to overthrow God again by deceiving the nations at the end of the Millennial Reign.[xiv]
Satan’s Final Demise
After Satan has made his final attempt to overthrow God Almighty by deceiving multitudes of people “the number of whom is as the sand of the sea,” leading them to come against the saints (those who are true born-again believers) and surround the beloved city (Jerusalem – where Jesus Christ sits on the throne), God brings down fire from heaven and destroys all of them. Gog is the name borrowed from Ezekiel 38:1 to represent the leader (or anti-christ) of the army and Magog is the nation of unbelievers who follows this leader.[xv] Just one blow from His nostrils is all it takes. Satan, with all his intelligence, should know by now that he is no match for God, but he is so proud, vindictive, and selfish that he cannot help himself and has absolutely no concern for all those who have followed his deceptive manipulation. The final masses of unbelievers, deceived by Satan, have met their physical doom.
Then, Jesus puts His hand on Satan himself and throws him in the Lake of Fire (Gehenna) where the beast and the false prophet have been since before Christ’s thousand year reign began. This is the place most people refer to as “hell.” Eternal torment – forever burning yet never burning up. This place was prepared specifically for the devil (Satan) and his angels (demons).[xvi] This is the fulfillment of God’s promise in Genesis 3:15.
The Great White Throne Judgment
Revelation 20:11-15
And I saw a great white throne, and him that sat on it, from whose face the earth and the heaven fled away; and there was found no place for them. And I saw the dead, small and great, stand before God; and the books were opened: and another book was opened, which is the book of life: and the dead were judged out of those things which were written in the books, according to their works. And the sea gave up the dead which were in it; and death and hell delivered up the dead which were in them: and they were judged every man according to their works. And death and hell were cast into the lake of fire. This is the second death. And whosoever was not found written in the book of life was cast into the lake of fire.
The Judgments
Judgment Day is a concept most people have misunderstood for ages. Most people visualize everyone standing before God in an elaborate courtroom waiting for their turn, hoping they have done enough right things to outweigh the bad things in their lives so they can enter into heaven. That scene will never happen. Theologians refer to it as a “General Judgment,” but there is no support for it in Scripture. There are several Judgments.
The Judgment of Sin for Believers
This judgment occurred at Calvary. Jesus, who had no sin, became sin for us[xvii], died and went to Sheol-Hades[xviii] – even to the lowest part[xix] to pay for our sin. He took the keys of Hell and Death[xx] and rose again so those who believe on Him (trust His death & resurrection and place their life in His hands) could have eternal life.[xxi]
The Bema (Judgment Seat) of Christ
The believers who are part of the first resurrection will stand before Christ at the Judgment Seat (Bema) of Christ where their works (not sins) will be judged.[xxii] The believer’s sin was judged at Calvary where Jesus paid the price so they could go free. So, the judgment of believers does not decide their eternity – it decides their rewards. Any work that is not pure will be destroyed, and any work that is pure will be rewarded. If no work can be rewarded, the believer will still be saved.[xxiii] Unbelievers will not be present at the Judgment Seat (Bema) of Christ. There will be degrees and positions in eternity, and what we do on this earth in this lifetime will determine the positions and privileges we have in eternity.
The Great White Throne Judgment
Unbelievers went to Sheol-Hades to wait for their judgment because they refused to believe on Christ for the payment of their sin. Their Judge will now judge their sin at the Great White Throne Judgment. Eternal death is the payment for sin, and they must make that payment. Their spirit is already dead – from birth. Their bodies died when they experienced death on the earth, but God will resurrect their bodies to stand before Him. “How can this be?” you might ask. “After all, the bodies have returned to dust. Some have been eaten by wild animals or sea creatures.” Believe me, God knows where all the particle are located. He can command them, and they will all come back together again. Nothing is impossible with God. So, the bodies reunite with the souls that came from Sheol-Hades. And God will call them to the Great White Throne after the Millennial Reign of Christ has ended and Satan has been thrown into the Lake of Fire.
There is no hope for those who stand before the Great White Throne at this time. In John 3:18, Jesus says, “He that believes on Him is not condemned: but he that believes not is condemned already, because he has not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God.” Really, they are already convicted and have been condemned to die – they are merely waiting for their execution. Their Judge, the Lord Jesus Christ, will prove that they deserve to be damned. Some will think they deserve to go to heaven and beg because they had done some great things in the name of the Lord, but their Judge will tell them He never knew them. The tax collector/disciple, Matthew, gives us this quote from the lips of our Lord:
“Not everyone who says to Me, Lord, Lord, shall enter into the kingdom of heaven; but he who does the will of my Father which is in heaven. Many will say to Me in that day, Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in Your name? and in Your name have cast out devils? and in Your name done many wonderful works? And then will I profess to them, I never knew you: depart from Me, you who work iniquity.[xxiv]
This implies Sunday school teachers, youth workers, children’s ministers, pastors, music ministers, evangelists, healers, missionaries, and others who have done wonderful works. These are people who had success, perhaps making a name for themselves in Christian circles. They’ve raised money, preached eloquent sermons, and gathered a great following of people, but they never came to know the Lord. They studied and knew the right answers. They had charisma to win the favor of many people who were awed and patterned their lives after them. Wow! What accomplishments they made! And yet, it was in vain. All that work was a work of iniquity – sin.
They were sincere. They were fruitful. They were successful – but they forgot to humble themselves. They were too proud to admit their own sin. They couldn’t completely put their trust in the very Christ they taught others to trust. This is the saddest situation in Scripture to me. I think of hell filled with murderers, rapists, thieves, child molesters, and vulgar mouthed haters of God. But among them will be those who lived good lives, and stood for the truth of God’s Word. They saw that they could build a great career while doing good in the world. They could gain recognition and lead the people but they never heard the voice of a Savior calling them to turn from their sin.
Donating money to good causes does not pay for your sins. Many people have made that wrong assumption. Good works, regardless of how loving, selfless, accomplishing, abundant, or sincere will never pay for your sin. Death is the only payment for sin.[xxv] Jesus did many wonderful good works. He healed the sick, made the maimed whole, comforted the broken hearted, gave hope to the hopeless, raised the dead, and fed the hungry. Jesus taught us to care for our neighbors and then made the distinction that our neighbors included all of humanity. He taught love and forgiveness. But the main work Jesus came to this earth to accomplish was to pay the price for the sin of mankind. He provided a way so that those who would trust in (believe) His sacrifice could be exempted from paying the price for sin. If you miss that, you’ve missed it all.
Yes, Jesus taught us to make this world a brighter place to live, but He knew this was a cursed earth and was more concerned with providing eternal life. I personally know many people who truly embrace a good, moral, giving, and loving lifestyle. They would give all they had to help others. They make those around them feel happy and loved. Yet they do not know the Lord in a personal relationship. They follow His teachings, but refuse to believe He is the only way to heaven. They want, with all their understanding, for everyone ever born in this world to be saved and live eternally. A nice thought, but God’s Word here in this passage tells us that cannot be true. So, some people refuse to completely trust in Christ’s sacrifice.
It’s amazing how many times I’ve heard something along this line of thinking: “If we love the Higher Being, whatever name we want to use, and love our neighbor to the best of our ability, we’re going to be alright. After all, that’s what Jesus taught in a nutshell.” I cringe to think how many people have heard this lie and have swallowed it as the gospel. What Jesus said: “You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your mind. This is the first and great commandment. And the second is like unto it, you shalt love your neighbor as yourself. On these two commandments hang all the law and the prophets.”[xxvi] And he also said, “I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man comes to the Father, but by Me.”[xxvii]
A Great Attendance
This judgment will be a great judgment. It will be great in attendance – many more people will stand before God in this judgment than any other judgment. How do I know this? Jesus in Matthew 7:13-14 states: “Enter in at the strait gate: for wide is the gate, and broad is the way, that leads to destruction, and many there be which go in thereat: Because strait is the gate, and narrow is the way, which leads to life, and few there be that find it.” It will be very great in attendance.
A Great Justice
This judgment will be great in justice. Many times our human courts are not just. The jury often does not have all the facts. For various reasons, some facts cannot be given in court. Motives are only circumstantial evidence as no one can determine if a particular motive caused a person to act upon it or not. However, this court will be completely just. Nothing is hidden from this Judge. He knows the heart. He knows the thoughts. Everyone will get exactly what he or she deserves.
This is NOT what you want! Please understand this! You do not want what you deserve. The Law is set. The penalty for sin is death. You are in sin. The only payment possible for you to escape is the death and resurrection of the Lord Jesus Christ. He died to pay for your sins and He rose again to give you eternal life! Justice, however good it sounds, will not be good for you. You need grace. And grace is what Jesus offers. You do not deserve eternal life, and you never will deserve it. But God has provided eternal life for you through His Son, the Lord Jesus Christ, if you are willing to admit that you do not deserve it because you are dead in your sins and have no hope apart from Christ and you believe His death and resurrection will pay for your sin in full. It doesn’t even matter what you’ve done. God will forgive it! By trusting Him completely, you submit to His Lordship in your life – you no longer belong to yourself – you belong to Him. Those who believe escape justice at the Great White Throne.
God’s justice will be absolute. There are degrees of punishment in eternal hell.[xxviii] Those who have never heard the gospel will be judged to a lesser degree than those who blatantly refuse the gospel after many opportunities to repent. Everyone still must give an account, because God declared Himself in nature: the very stars declare His glory.[xxix] A man can look at the wonderment of nature and know there is a God.
Missionaries time after time tell how God spoke to their hearts, giving them a specific burden to take the gospel to a particular place. Doors miraculously opened for the journey. God’s people gave money to complete the mission. Once there, they found people burdened for the truth – people who realized there was a God and desired to know Him. God will always provide a way for someone to know the Way, the Truth and the Life if he or she hears the voice of the Savior. He will leave the ninety-nine and go find that one lost lamb![xxx] But one who lives in a land where no truth is taught, and refuses to acknowledge the Creator is still spiritually dead. To die in that state, he or she must pay the price, and our just God provides individualized punishments to fit each case. This in no way makes hell attractive. Even the best in the Lake of Fire cannot begin to compare to the very least in eternal life!
“I’ve often said, ‘If I had to go to hell, and I’m so thankful that I don’t have to go to hell because of what Christ did. But if I had to go to hell, I believe I’d rather go to hell from the darkest continent of Africa than to go to hell from the United States of America.’ Because I have more light and I’ve been exposed to more light, and God will judge people on the basis of the light they have received.”[xxxi]
The Books
There are record books in heaven of every utterance that comes out of our mouths, every thought that we ponder, and every deed done. There is one for me. There is one for you. There is one for every person who has ever lived upon this earth. God keeps these records to fulfill justice. Those who stand before God at the Great White Throne will see their record book open. They will not be able to deny any deed, thought, or intention, because it will all be clearly seen.
Sixty-six books make up the Word of God. We call it a Bible. The word bible means books – a collection of books. These books will be opened. The deeds of the dead will be measured by the Word of God to prove that sin is present and has been committed. One sin is all that is needed for condemnation. James 2:10 states: For whosoever shall keep the whole law, and yet offend in one point, he is guilty of all.
The Book of Life will also be opened. In this book, all who ever were born physically were recorded. When one died without Christ, his or her name is blotted out of the Book of Life because they did not receive Christ’s payment for their sin.[xxxii] They died physically while they were still Spiritually dead, so now there is no hope for life. When Christ looks for their name in the Book of Life, it will not be there.
There is another book called the Lamb’s Book of Life or the Book of Life of the Lamb. It may or may not be present at the Great White Throne, as God’s Word doesn’t specify. In this book, the names of the children of God are written. The two books, the Book of Life and the Lamb’s Book of Life will be identical at the Great White Throne Judgment. Those who did not receive Christ will be removed from the Book of Life, leaving only those who received Christ. Then, all those who received Christ are written in the Lamb’s Book of Life. So, after all the years of time – from the sixth day when God created Adam to the end of the Millennial Reign of Christ – these two books will tally perfectly, providing a check and balance system.
The Second Death – The Last Enemy Destroyed
God throws everyone whose name did not appear in the Book of Life into the Lake of Fire. Although this place was prepared for the Devil and his angels, there is no other place for them. This is the second death.
1 Corinthians 15:26 tells us: The last enemy that shall be destroyed is Death. Death has been our enemy from the day Adam and Eve sinned. Death has separated us from our loved ones and brought us grief. Many people have allowed Death to strip them of any joy, wrapping them in depression and despair.
Our bodies are continually dying each and every moment we are here on this earth until death completely overtakes them. Just this week, we said goodbye for now to a very dear friend who went to be with the Lord. Her family, each one faithfully serving the Lord, learned from her consistent walk and strong faith. Now, they must continue to face the world without her, leaning upon the Lord she reflected so beautifully. We will all miss Linda Murphy, yet we can rejoice that we know our wonderful Lord has conquered death! Linda is not a part of the second death – like all who have trusted in Jesus, she has life everlasting because Christ died in her place! We have no reason to fear the passing of this life. However, it is hard to watch a loved one suffer with a body writhing in pain before that final moment of rescue into the arms of Jesus. It is hard to say goodbye to a loved one knowing we must stay here to fight the fight without them. Death is indeed a very real and present enemy. But this will be the final end of Death! Death and Hell (Sheol-Hades) will be thrown into the Lake of Fire to perish forever. Praise God! No more Death!!
The Great White Throne Judgment is a necessary albeit an intolerable and painful judgment. I do not think I could bear being present at this judgment. I hope you will examine your salvation and make it sure in Christ. “Open my eyes, Lord! I want to see Jesus! To reach out and touch Him and say that I love Him! Open my ears, Lord! And help me to listen! Open my eyes, Lord! I want to see Jesus!”[xxxiii]
[i] Cozart, Dr. Dan W., Sermon: “The Great White Throne Judgment”, Grace Baptist Church, Tyler, TX, May 16, 2010.
[ii] Revelation 12:7-9this wrong assumption
[iii] Genesis 3:1-24
[iv] Genesis 4:1-10
[v] Genesis 6:1-7
[vi] Genesis 25:21-34; 27:1-35
[vii] Esther 3:6
[viii] Matthew 4:1-11
[ix] Matthew 26:36-45
[x] Luke 23:35-39
[xi] Matthew 27:62-66
[xii] Revelation 17:1-18
[xiii] Revelation 19:17-19
[xiv] Revelation 20:7-9
[xv] Gill, Dr. John, (1690-1771), John Gill’s Exposition of the Entire Bible, Revelation 20:8.
[xvi] Matthew 25:41
[xvii] 2 Corinthians 5:21
[xviii] Acts 2:27, 31
[xix] 1 Peter 3:19-20; 2 Peter 2:4
[xx] Revelation 1:18
[xxi] John 3:16
[xxii] 2 Corinthians 5:10
[xxiii] 1 Corinthians 3:13-15; Matthew 16:27; Romans 14:10; Ephesians 6:8; 2 Timothy 4:8; Galatians 6:7; Colossians 3:24-25; Revelation 22:12
[xxiv] Matthew 7:21-23
[xxv] Romans 6:23, Hebrews 9:22
[xxvi] Matthew 22:37-40
[xxvii] John 14:6
[xxviii] Deut 32:22; Ps 86:13; Matthew 11:21-24; 23:14-15; Mark 12:40; Luke 12:46-48; 20:47; James 3:1
[xxix] Romans 1:18-25
[xxx] Luke 15:4-7
[xxxi] Cozart, Dr. Dan W., Sermon: “The Great White Throne Judgment”, Grace Baptist Church, Tyler, TX, May 16, 2010.
[xxxii] Revelation 3:5 -Also see Exodus 32:31-35 and Exodus 9:14
[xxxiii] Author: Bob Cull, https://us.songselect.com/songs/1572/open-our-eyes, 10/1/14, recorded by Maranatha Singers, 8/18/09, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oZsZkB-HcyE.