8/21/2024 - The Great White Throne
Notes
Transcript
Handout
Revelation 20:11-15
Before us tonight is one of the most awesome passages in the Bible.
It shows man that He will have an ultimate encounter with God.
A story is told of American statesman Daniel Webster. He was asked, “What is the greatest thought that has ever crossed your mind?”
Without hesitation Webster replied, “My accountability to God.”
The first thing we need to note about this passage is that it is for unbelievers.
The Believers have already died and gone to heaven, were raptured with the church, or died during the tribulation.
at the end of the Tribulation there is a separation, as to who will go into the millennial reign or not.
Matthew 25, Jesus judges between the sheep and the goats.
These are for those who still on earth at the end of the Tribulation.
31 When the Son of man shall come in his glory, and all the holy angels with him, then shall he sit upon the throne of his glory:
32 And before him shall be gathered all nations: and he shall separate them one from another, as a shepherd divideth his sheep from the goats:
33 And he shall set the sheep on his right hand, but the goats on the left.
34 Then shall the King say unto them on his right hand, Come, ye blessed of my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world:
41 Then shall he say also unto them on the left hand, Depart from me, ye cursed, into everlasting fire, prepared for the devil and his angels:
When you put this passage together with Revelation 20, we see at the end of the Tribulation, Jesus separates the righteous from the unrighteous.
Those who are saved during the tribulation, those who do not take the mark of the beast go into the Millennial Kingdom, the unrighteous, those who took the Mark of the Beast will go into everlasting fire.
So at the beginning of the Millennial Kingdom everyone will be saved.
But they will still have their sinful nature.
Children will be born sinners, and some will choose to rebel.
At the end of the 1,000 years, The righteous would have already gone through judgment and now those who are born that rebelled and didn’t trust Christ will stand before almighty God.
This passage speaks of the “dead great and small” and I believe the reference here is to the people of the earth who are dead in their trespasses and sins.
This judgment will be for small and great.
The powerful and the unknown will all stand before a Holy God.
It will be like a courtroom, except, there is no debate, there is no defense, no jury, no appeal, no parole.
The judgement will be final, the Judge perfectly knowing the heart of every man.
According to verse 13, I believe the spirits of the unsaved will be raised up from Hell (Hades) and the bodies from the sea and graves.
No one will escape this time of final sentencing.
I. The Sight of the Great White Throne
I. The Sight of the Great White Throne
11 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.
This is the throne of God.
It is a reflection of the purity of God.
At this judgment, there will be no where to run, the earth and heaven have fled away from the face of the judge.
7 But the heavens and the earth, which are now, by the same word are kept in store, reserved unto fire against the day of judgment and perdition of ungodly men.
10 But the day of the Lord will come as a thief in the night; in the which the heavens shall pass away with a great noise, and the elements shall melt with fervent heat, the earth also and the works that are therein shall be burned up.
11 Seeing then that all these things shall be dissolved, what manner of persons ought ye to be in all holy conversation and godliness,
12 Looking for and hasting unto the coming of the day of God, wherein the heavens being on fire shall be dissolved, and the elements shall melt with fervent heat?
13 Nevertheless we, according to his promise, look for new heavens and a new earth, wherein dwelleth righteousness.
While judgement is going on, the Heaven and Earth is being remade.
So where are they going to be standing, then?
The Bible doesn’t really tell us, except they are standing before the throne of God.
But what will it be like there?
They will see...
A. The Savior on the Throne
A. The Savior on the Throne
11 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.
22 For the Father judgeth no man, but hath committed all judgment unto the Son:
Men have cursed Him, ignored Him, and hated Him.
Now He will sit as their judge.
They will face the judge.
So what will be ...
B. The Sensation at the Throne
B. The Sensation at the Throne
What will the feeling be?
There will be a sensation of fear and there will be no place to hide.
Every one will confess that Jesus is Lord, there is no more denying.
He won the Battle, the Heavens and Earth are fled away, they are standing before the Mighty Judge on His throne.
They will be afraid!
Secondly let’s see...
II. The Sentencing of the Great White Throne
II. The Sentencing of the Great White Throne
A. The Books Are Opened
A. The Books Are Opened
Notice it is plural…books
12 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.
There will be a record that day, there is no argument, the truth will be revealed.
1. The Bible
1. The Bible
48 He that rejecteth me, and receiveth not my words, hath one that judgeth him: the word that I have spoken, the same shall judge him in the last day.
Not only is the WORD judging them on the throne, but the words of the WORD will judge them as well.
It will bear witness that the truth was before them all along.
2. The Book of Records
2. The Book of Records
16 Thine eyes did see my substance, yet being unperfect; And in thy book all my members were written, Which in continuance were fashioned, when as yet there was none of them.
It is a record of everyone who has ever lived and died.
God knows when everyone will die, and when they will be born.
Then the Bible tells us about...
3. The Book of Remembrance
3. The Book of Remembrance
8 Thou tellest my wanderings: Put thou my tears into thy bottle: Are they not in thy book?
16 Then they that feared the Lord spake often one to another: And the Lord hearkened, and heard it, And a book of remembrance was written before him For them that feared the Lord, and that thought upon his name.
He records every event, He knows every sorrow, and every tear.
There is not a sorrow that God does not see, This shows the love of God for all man.
4. The Book of Works
4. The Book of Works
Unless this is also written in one of the other books, but verse 12 tells us ...
12 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.
Notice that the words, in my Bible at least, the book are italicized.
This means they were added for clarity.
The words that are actually there literally translate to “another book was opened which is of life.”
Every thing they did in their life will be on display for the judge to see.
14 For God shall bring every work into judgment, with every secret thing, whether it be good, or whether it be evil.
But this is not a judgment whether they have done more good than bad,
8 For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God:
9 Not of works, lest any man should boast.
But the Word of God will bear witness as well as the other books, that they are a sinner…whether they have accepted Christ or not…and if their name is in...
5. The Book of Life
5. The Book of Life
3 And I intreat thee also, true yokefellow, help those women which laboured with me in the gospel, with Clement also, and with other my fellowlabourers, whose names are in the book of life.
28 Let them be blotted out of the book of the living, And not be written with the righteous.
This is the book where every human being who has ever lived has his name written.
It includes the names of everyone who has ever lived or ever will live.
God desires for everyone to live with Him forever, therefore, every person's name is written in the Book of Life.
Only when a person fails to accept Christ as Savior is his name erased from the book.
5 He that overcometh, the same shall be clothed in white raiment; and I will not blot out his name out of the book of life, but I will confess his name before my Father, and before his angels.
32 Yet now, if thou wilt forgive their sin—; and if not, blot me, I pray thee, out of thy book which thou hast written.
33 And the Lord said unto Moses, Whosoever hath sinned against me, him will I blot out of my book.
19 And if any man shall take away from the words of the book of this prophecy, God shall take away his part out of the book of life, and out of the holy city, and from the things which are written in this book.
I believe there may be a second book of life called the “Lamb’s Book of Life” and these are those who, since the time of the cross have accepted Christ as Savior.
I do not believe it is possible to have our name taken out of the Lamb's Book of Life.
27 And there shall in no wise enter into it any thing that defileth, neither whatsoever worketh abomination, or maketh a lie: but they which are written in the Lamb’s book of life.
8 And all that dwell upon the earth shall worship him, whose names are not written in the book of life of the Lamb slain from the foundation of the world.
During the tribulation, those who worshipped the Antichrist did not have their name written down.
Next we see...
B. The Dead Are Called
B. The Dead Are Called
13 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.
This is a resurrection to judgment.
The first resurrection will have taken place 1000 years prior.
The atoms and particles of a person may be scattered all over the world, but God will call them forth.
They are called from the sea--those sunken in war, those whose remains have been scattered, etc.
They will come from the graves.
They will come from Hades—the place of torment where the spirits of the unsaved have gone until the Great White Throne Judgment.
23 And in hell he lift up his eyes, being in torments, and seeth Abraham afar off, and Lazarus in his bosom.
24 And he cried and said, Father Abraham, have mercy on me, and send Lazarus, that he may dip the tip of his finger in water, and cool my tongue; for I am tormented in this flame.
III. The Second Death after the Great White Throne
III. The Second Death after the Great White Throne
14 And death and hell were cast into the lake of fire. This is the second death.
15 And whosoever was not found written in the book of life was cast into the lake of fire.
A. Death and Hell Were Cast into the Lake of Fire
A. Death and Hell Were Cast into the Lake of Fire
All who were in Hades were cast into the Lake of Fire.
12 But the children of the kingdom shall be cast out into outer darkness: there shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth.
41 The Son of man shall send forth his angels, and they shall gather out of his kingdom all things that offend, and them which do iniquity;
42 And shall cast them into a furnace of fire: there shall be wailing and gnashing of teeth.
B. The Lake of Fire is the Second Death
B. The Lake of Fire is the Second Death
This is eternal death.
Everyone that lives, until those who are taken in the rapture, will experience the first death.
But the second death is reserved for those who have rejected Christ as their Savior…whose name is not found in the Lamb’s Book of Life.
Conclusion:
Conclusion:
One does not have to do anything to have his name written in the Book of Life.
9 The Lord is not slack concerning his promise, as some men count slackness; but is longsuffering to us-ward, not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance.
But if we keep our name there, then we must have it written in the Lamb's Book of Life.
24 Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that heareth my word, and believeth on him that sent me, hath everlasting life, and shall not come into condemnation; but is passed from death unto life.
