12. THE GREAT WHITE THRONE JUDGMENT
Christians can look forward to the future with great anticipation because they have the promise of heaven, but not unbelievers. For them, the future is one big unknown. The warning that they will one day face judgment brings great fear and alarm to their hearts.
Unfortunately, there is a common misperception that everyone will be judged at one time – both Christians and unbelievers. In actuality, God’s children will face a judgment not related to their salvation, but to rewards based on their works on Earth. Unbelievers will face the Great White Throne Judgment, which is the final judgment of all people of all ages who rejected God during their time here on Earth.
THE JUDGMENT OF UNBELIEVERS
1. The scene that is described in Revelation 20:12 is the final judgment of all the unbelievers of all the ages. In a judicial sense, they are as guilty, condemned prisoners before the bar of divine justice. There are no living sinners left in the destroyed universe since all sinners were killed and all believers glorified.
2. According to Revelation 20:13, no one will be able to escape this judgment. All unrighteous dead will appear at the Great White Throne Judgment; none will escape. All the places that have held the bodies of the unrighteous dead will yield up new bodies suited for hell.
3. In Revelation 20:12b and 13b, these people are judged according to their works. Their thoughts (Luke 8:17; Romans 2:16), words (Matthew 12:37), and actions (Matthew 16:27) will be compared to God’s perfect, holy standard (Matthew 5:48; 1Peter 1:15, 16) and will be found wanting (Romans 3:23). This also implies that there are degrees of punishment in hell (cf. Matthew 10:14, 15; 11:22; Mark 12:38–40; Luke 12:47, 48; Hebrews 10:29).
4. Revelation 20:15 tells us that those whose names were not found in the Book of Life “was cast into the lake of fire.” The Book of Life contains all the names of the redeemed.
5. We learn from Matthew 25:41 that the Lake of Fire was prepared for the devil and his angels.Both the judgment and the blessed life are designated by the same adjective, “eternal” (Greekaionios), clearly indicating their equal duration. The punishment of the wicked is as never-ending as the bliss of the righteous. The wicked are not given a second chance, nor are they annihilated. The punishment of the wicked dead is described throughout Scripture as “eternal fire” (v. 41); “unquenchable fire” (3:12); “disgrace and everlasting contempt” (Daniel 12:2); a place where “their worm does not die, and the fire is not quenched” (Mark 9:44–49); a place of “torments” and “flame” (Luke 16:23, 24); “eternal destruction” (2 Thessalonians 1:9); a place of torment with “fire and brimstone” where “the smoke of their torment goes up forever and ever” (Revelation 14:10, 11); and a “lake of fire and brimstone” where the wicked are “tormented day and night forever and ever” (Revelation 20:10).
6. Matthew 25:41 and 46 states that this punishment will be everlasting (forever). Here Jesus indicates that the punishment itself is everlasting—not merely the smoke and flames. Even hell will acknowledge the perfect justice of God (Psalm 76:10); those who are there will know that their punishment is just and that they alone are to blame (Deuteronomy 32:3–5)
7. Luke 16:26 states that there is a great gulf fixed between those who are in heaven and hell.This detail illustrates the fact that the unrighteous, once they have died, cannot enter into the sphere of the righteous.
8. Hebrews 9:27 states “it is appointed for men to die once, but after this the judgment.” There is no second chance. Are you certain about your eternal destination? If you are a Christian, we trust that the sober reality of future judgment burdens your heart to share the good news of Jesus Christ with friends and family members who are unbelievers.
All Scripture quotations are from the New King James Version of the Bible, © 1979, 1980, 1982, 1990, Thomas Nelson, Inc., Publishers.
©2013 Kenute P. Curry. All rights reserved.
No comments:
Post a Comment