The Great White Throne Of Judgement - What Is It? – Part 1 Of 4 Series

THE GREAT WHITE THRONE OF JUDGEMENT - WHAT IS IT? – PART 1 of 4

We have a dual study coming up of the two great judgements of mankind still future. The first will be THE GREAT WHITE THRONE and the second is THE JUDGEMENT SEAT OF CHRIST. All human beings are going to be at one or the other of these. Chronologically, the great white throne is after the Judgement Seat of Christ.

INTRODUCTION: MAN’S FINAL JUDGEMENT

Who does not fear being called to court on some charge whether guilty or innocent. Most people fear judgement but I speak about the behaviour on earth as it applies on earth. Hardly anyone gives any thought to the judgement that is to come. That judgement has eternal consequences. I want to look at two judgements that are coming for individuals, not the wrathful judgement of the Tribulation for that is a different matter.

Those two will be the great white throne and the judgement seat of Christ. There is more than 1 000 years between the two of them, and the judgement of Christians is the one to happen first. I will deal firstly though with the GREAT WHITE THRONE judgement.

This verse might be considered our theme verse in this matter – {{Hebrews 9:27 “Inasmuch as it is appointed for men TO DIE ONCE and AFTER THIS COMES JUDGMENT.”}} One death and one judgement for all human beings but separated by a great time span. Some people claim outright that there is nothing after death as most atheists do. To them I would say, {{Galatians 6:7 “Do not be deceived. God is not mocked, for WHATEVER A MAN SOWS, THIS HE WILL ALSO REAP.”}}. You may deny that as much as you like but you are no different from the man who stands at the beach and looks to the east and denies that the sun will rise.

[A]. THE PERSON AND THE BOOKS – THE SCRIPTURE

{{Revelation 20:11-12 “I saw A GREAT WHITE THRONE and Him who sat upon it, FROM WHOSE PRESENCE EARTH AND HEAVEN FLED AWAY, and no place was found for them, and I saw the dead, the great and the small, standing before the throne, and BOOKS WERE OPENED, and another book was opened, which is THE BOOK OF LIFE, and the dead were judged from the things which were written in the books, ACCORDING TO THEIR DEEDS.”}}

[B]. THE VISION - The vision came to John of a great white throne occupied by a figure, so awesome and so terrifying, that it can only spell an awful judgment from the King of the Universe, and the ruling is against the unsaved of all ages, from Cain to the end of the Millennium. The reason for the throne is because the King sits in judgment, like the eastern potentates did on rulings that they would deliver for their subjects who came before the throne.

This event is strategically placed, as it is the very last event in the whole history of mankind before the eternal ages begin. This wraps up God’s dealing with man, for immediately after the great white throne we have the new heavens and the new earth wherein righteousness will dwell forever AND FOREVER!

Here in the description we have the Judge, which the Apostles’ Creed would identify as the Lord Jesus Christ who “comes to judge the living and the dead,” even though this Creed is deficient in eschatology as a posting of mine points out. Let us just say that God the Son as the eternal Judge will occupy this throne. {{John 5:22-23 “For not even the Father judges anyone, but HE HAS GIVEN ALL JUDGMENT TO THE SON in order that all may honour the Son, even as they honour the Father. He who does not honour the Son does not honour the Father who sent Him.”}} It is God the Father who directs all judgment in that day into the hand of the Son of God.

{{John 5:27-29 “and HE GAVE HIM AUTHORITY TO EXECUTE JUDGMENT BECAUSE HE IS THE SON OF MAN. Do not marvel at this, for an hour is coming in which all who are in the tombs shall hear His voice, and shall come forth - those who did the good deeds to a RESURRECTION OF LIFE, and those who committed the evil deeds to a RESURRECTION OF JUDGEMENT”}}. (This is not contemporaneous – not at the same time. “God created the universe and God created in me a new life.” Those creations are not contemporaneous.). The resurrection of life will be the Rapture and the resurrection of judgement will be the Great White Throne.

It is a fearful thing to fall into the hands of the living God. That is the fate of those who did not know God and denied Him. How must we understand the word FEARFUL? It is like an antelope that has suddenly been seized by a lion. The dread of it! You can just imagine the terror of such an event. As I said earlier some think such things are fairy tales or stories to frighten kids into behaving. God’s judgements are serious and no fairytale.