THE GREAT WHITE THRONE JUDGMENT

Topic: THE GREAT WHITE THRONE JUDGMENT

MAIN TEXT: REVELATION 20: 11- 15

INTRODUCTION

It is nothing compared with earthly judgment but can be understood with the system of court on earth here. The only difference is that whoever comes to this judgment is condemned already. It will be unfortunate and foolish to face a judgment for which a way of escape has been outlined. As we study about THE WHITE THRONE JUDGMENT, let us fear, lest we come into this judgment. Let us also share with friends and families, even enemies that everyone might escape for their lives!

LECTURE

 THE JUDGE AND THE GREAT WHITE THRONE

A.  The Picture in This Throne - There are two adjectives used to describe this throne.

1.  It is called great - This word refers to “its power”. This is the highest court in the universe! All judgments rendered here will be final!

2.  It is called White - This speaks of “the purity” of this court. All human courts are tainted by sin, prejudice and fallibility. This court, on the other hand, is absolutely perfect and the judgment rendered here will be perfectly fair and righteous. The Judge who occupies this bench is infallible. He cannot be tainted by sin or prejudice, but He renders judgment in perfect righteousness and fairness. Not a single person judged here will cry “unfair” when their sentence is handed down. Every sinner judged and sentenced will know that they have received perfect and fair judgment.

B.  The Person on This Throne - The Bible tells us that this throne is occupied by a Person.  The man on this throne is none other than the Lord Jesus Christ Himself, John 5:22, 27, 30; Acts 10:40-42; 2 Tim. 4:1. The Savior will be the Sentencer in that day!

We still live in the day of grace. During this time in history, a sinner can come before God and cry out for forgiveness and the Lord will receive them and save them by His grace. Today is the day of grace. Today is the day of forgiveness. Today is the day of repentance. Today is the day of salvation. Today is the day of mercy. There will be none of those things given out in that day! Only judgment, swift and sure, will issue from this great white throne and from the Lord Jesus Christ!)

C.  The Perception of This Throne - The Bible tells us here that there was found no place for the heavens and the earth to hide from the gaze of the One on the throne. It needs to be remembered that this righteous Judge sees all and He knows all. There is no sin hidden from Him and no thought has ever been concealed. There will be no pretending and no pretense on that great judgment day, but only a sure recounting of every sinful deed and every sinful thought, Luke 8:17; Eccl. 12:14. Nothing will be hidden!

Some think they are getting away with things now, but the truth is, God knows all about you and what you have been doing and thinking. He knows everything there is to know about you! Psa. 33:13-15; Psa. 44:21; Pro. 5: 21; Pro.15:3; Pro. 21:2; Heb. 4:13. You haven’t hidden a single thing from God! And, you can be sure, one day, those sins will come back to haunt you - Num. 32:23; Gal. 6:9.

 JUSTICE AND THE GREAT WHITE THRONE

A.      The Defendants Appearing At The Throne - those appearing before the throne are the “dead”. This proves that there will not be a single born again believer in the group. Why? The Bible tells us that we who have trusted Jesus as our Savior have “passed from death unto life”, John 5:24. We have been given eternal, abundant life through the blood of the Lamb and can never lose that or be dead again for ever.

This can only mean one thing: this mass of humanity will be made up completely of those who are spiritually dead, Eph. 2:1. Note also that this group includes all the spiritually dead! God raises their dead bodies from their tombs. He knows where every particle of human dust is located and He is well able to bring it together and raise it to life. He calls their bodies from the ground and their souls from Hell. He reunites them in a pitiful procession of anguish and hopelessness.

None is left out! The king, the pauper, the general, the foot soldier, the master, the slave, the borrower and the lender will all stand before God. None will escape and none will hide, but all will face the Righteous Judge in judgment that day! Preachers, deacons, church members, popes, priests, nuns, choir members, drunks, whores, drug addicts, pimps, pushers, grandmothers, grandfathers, teenagers, moms and dads, will all stand together with Cain, Judas, Hitler, and every other person who chose wickedness over righteousness, before the throne to face their judgment! There will be no escape and there will be no exceptions.

Every person who has ever died without Jesus Christ will face Him in this Judgment on that day! verse 13, it reminds us that all who died, regardless of where they died will appear before Jesus in judgment.

B.  The Documents Used at the Throne - The Bible tells us here that the “books” will be opened. The following books will be opened;

1.  The Bible - Jesus Himself reminded us that we would be judged out of His Word - John 12:48. This Bible that sinners mock and refuse to heed will be used to render judgment upon their lives that day. Better to believe it now and go to Heaven than reject it and then face it in judgment and go to Hell!

2.  The Book of Deeds - In Heaven, a record is being maintained of the deeds of all men. One day, every lost person will stand before the Lord and hear the record of his life read from the throne. Every deed, both good and evil will be mentioned. Every sin will be read aloud: Sins of commission, sins of omission, flagrant sins, secret sins, sins of the heart and sins of the mind. All will be brought out into the open on that day. Verse 12 makes it clear that the lost will be judged according to their works.

3.  The Book of Life - Every name of every person who would ever be born was in this book, Rev. 3:5; Rev. 17:8. When a sinner dies without trusting Christ as his Savior, their name is removed from this book. While your name remains, there is hope for you, but when you die, or you reject Jesus for the last time, you are numbered with the eternally dead and there is no more opportunity for you to be saved.

4.  The Lamb’s Book of Life - This book contains the names of those who are redeemed by the blood of Jesus. When a sinner repents, their name is written in this book. This is the reason Jesus told His disciples to rejoice, Luke 10:20. This book records who has and who has not accepted Jesus as their Savior. When the Great White Throne Judgment comes about, both this book and the book of life will match perfectly!

C.  The Decision Made at the Throne - verse 13 tells it all. When these books are opened, judgment is rendered based on the evidence found in the books. You can be sure that the evidence is accurate, and that the record is complete.

JUDGMENT AND THE GREAT WHITE THRONE

A.  A Fearful Judgment - The sentence rendered from this bench is “Death”. Not just physical death, but the second death which is eternal separation from God in the fires of the Lake of Fire, 2 Thess. 1:9-10. This death involves no dying! There will be no end to the torment, to the hell, to the awful nature of what the sinner will face. It will be an eternal state of dying apart from the presence of God or anything good! It will be Hell! It is the “death” Paul refers to in Rom. 6:23 as the “wages of sin”.

Imagine the horror of hearing Jesus say the words that will condemn you to eternal torment! Imagine hearing Him say, “Depart from me, ye cursed, into everlasting fire, prepared for the devil and his angels”, Matt. 25:41. Matt. 7:21-23. Don’t let this happen to you!

B.  A Final Judgment - There will be no appeals; all judgments rendered from this bench will be final and they will be binding. This will be the last day any of these sinners ever see. This will be the end of the road for them, for they are forever consigned to the Lake of Fire to suffer torment for eternity! Psa. 9:17; Luke 16:19-31.)

C.  A unfortunate Judgment - It is unfortunate only in the sense that it did not have to happen! Any sinner, who is willing to repent and turn to Jesus alone, by faith alone, can be eternally saved. The precious blood Jesus shed on Calvary is sufficient to the saving of any sinner who calls upon Him, Rom. 10:13. The grace of God is sufficient for every sinner who will come, regardless of the depths of their sins, Rom. 5:20. The love of God for the Lord is sufficient to receive all who will come by faith, John 6:37. Please don’t do a foolish thing and die in your sin or without Jesus! Come to Him while the door is open!