Daniel 7 9-10

When Books Are Opened

Daniel 7:9–10

Imagine that someone was watching everything we ever did wrong. Flip open the pad and pretend to write as you speak. They wrote down everything our parents scolded us for or when we got in trouble at school or the unkind things we did to a friend. They could write down the bad things we said when no one could see or hear us—even the wrong thoughts we had. And they did this every day for all of our life. Flip the pad shut. How would we feel if someone took us to a judge, opened the notebook (fan through the pages), and read all those things aloud in front of everyone? Wait for answers. We would be ashamed, wouldn’t we?

We are close to the end of the church year, and this is the time the Bible reminds us that Jesus will come again to be the judge of the whole world. In Daniel 7 we hear a description of the courtroom. Thrones are set in place; Jesus sits as judge; and all the witnesses, thousands of people, are there. Everyone is silently seated, and the books of justice are opened. Open your notebook.

People who don’t believe in Jesus as their Savior will have their books read, and they’ll be ashamed. The judge will declare them guilty and send them away forever. But for those who believe in Jesus and trust him for forgiveness, the only thing looked at will be the cross on which Jesus died for them. Point to a cross in your church. There the judge himself, Jesus, paid for their sins and took away everything against them in their books. He will take them to live with him forever in heaven. Do you think they’ll be happy? Wait for answers.

That’s what will happen for us. Every day we do and think sinful things that would fill up many books. But Jesus died on the cross for us. He paid for those sins. When we were baptized, he forgave our sins and made us believers in him, children of God. We’re ashamed of our sins, and every day we ask Jesus to forgive them. He does forgive us, and he tells us that when he comes again to judge the world, it will be a joyful time for us who believe. He’ll tear out the pages of our sins (rip and crumple) and just show our names written as people for heaven. Pray.