Rev. # 74~20:11-15=21:1- THE WHITE THRONE-NEW HEAVEN AND EARTH 10-9-10
Today we’ll continue with our thoughts to do with the White Throne Judgment of the lost, and then go into Chapter 21: Lord willing.
Ø Listen as I read our text.
11And 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.**
12And I saw the dead, small and great, **stand before God; and the books were opened:**
We see here that there will be at least 3 books at this Judgment.
BIBLE—WORKS AND DEEDS—BOOK OF LIFE
I pointed out last time that We see here that there will be at least 3 books at this Judgment.
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Ø Let me say right here, LISTEN, I’m gon-na tell you something that’s going to bless your heart,-- Man’s number is 6, created on the 6th day, Rev.13:18 666--Romans is the 6th book of the N.T.,-Romans has 6 letters in it--Romans has the word “MAN” in it. -- Romans tells man about a man that caused mankind to become sinners--
Rom.5:12 Wherefore, as by one man** sin entered into the world, and death by sin; and so death passed upon all men, for that all have sinned:--
Romans also tells MAN that THE MAN the Lord Jesus Christ is mans only hope.
Rom.5:15-19 --- For if through the offence of one many be dead,**(ADAM) much more the grace of God, and the gift by grace, which is by ONE MAN, Jesus Christ, hath abounded unto many. 16And not as it was by one that sinned, so is the gift: for the judgment was by one to condemnation, but the free gift is of many offences unto justification. 17For if by one man’s offence death reigned by one; much more they which receive abundance of grace and of the gift of righteousness shall reign in life by one, Jesus Christ.) 18Therefore as by the offence of one judgment came upon all men to condemnation; even so by the righteousness of ONE the free gift came upon all men unto justification of life. 19For as by one man’s disobedience many were made sinners, so by the obedience of one shall many be made righteous.
Listen; if you’ll take the 6th book of the N.T. “Romans”, and turn to the 6th chapter, look down at the 6th verse, and count the 6th word you’ll see that the word is MAN.
And you will find that MAN is the 6th word 6 times here in book 6, --let me give them to you.
2:1 Therefore thou art inexcusable, O man, ---
2:3 And thinkest thou this, O man, that judgest them which do such things, and doest the same, that thou shalt escape the judgment of God?
2:6 Who will render to every man according to his deeds:
3:28 Therefore we conclude that a man is justified by faith without the deeds of the law.
5:7 For scarcely for a righteous man will one die: yet peradventure for a good man some would even dare to die.
6:6 Knowing this, that our old man is crucified with him, that the body of sin might be destroyed,
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Romans tells man how he became a sinner and that the MAN the Lord Jesus Christ is the only remedy.
I think that it would be best if a person that is still a babe in Christ, or maybe some one that’s not been saved for a very long time, that they should read John’s gospel first and then read Romans, don’t start reading in the law books of the O.T. or you may become confused, the law was for the Jews back then, the law was never given to the Gentiles at any time, if your not a Jew then you’re a Gentile. We’re today in the GRACE dispensation, the LAW dispensation is passed, read John and then Romans, and then Galatians. –gentiles were never under the law.
Psalm 147:19 He sheweth his word unto Jacob, his statutes and his judgments unto Israel. (JEWS) 20He hath not dealt so with any nation: and as for his judgments, (LAWS) they have not known them. Praise ye the LORD.
----------------------------------Lets start with verse 11 again;
11And 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.***
12And 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.
13And 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. at least 3 books will be opened–--BIBLE—WORKS AND DEEDS—BOOK OF LIFE
----12-b and another book was opened, which is the book of life-
This book contains the names of believers; these have put their faith in Christ and His plan of salvation. All these believers truly accepted Jesus as their Substitute, understanding that He took their suffering and pain as He was there on the cross and THESE BELIEVERS gladly and thankfully received Him as their Savior.
These that are in the Book of Life did not rejected God’s plan of salvation and have responded to Him in faith; for these their faith is counted for righteousness, like Abraham’s was;
Romans 4:3 For what saith the scripture? Abraham believed God, and it was counted unto him for righteousness.
The book of life will be there to show the lost sinner that their name is not there; when the lost sinner died in his sin his name was blotted out at death.
I told you last time when a person is born physically his or her name is entered into the BOOK OF LIFE, should that person die without ever being saved his name is blotted out of the BOOK OF LIFE. When it’s all said and done the names that are left in the BOOK OF LIFE are all saved, then the BOOK OF LIFE becomes THE LAMBS BOOK OF LIFE.
Revelation 21:27 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.
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Other Books that will be there will be the book or books of deeds, or works of these lost sinners as they are standing before the Great White Throne of Judgment.
and the dead were judged out of those things which were written in the books, according to their works.**(in the record books, and they will be punished according to their wickedness.)
Listen-- This is not to say that there’ll not be any good works recorded in the record book or books, that these may have done during their life time on earth, all their works will be recorded good and bad, but what damns these poor souls is the fact that their name is not recorded in the Lambs Book of life, there will be good people, morally speaking, that will be there,--
-- The good neighbor that would go out of his or her way to help someone, but they died lost, they never were saved, they died in their damning sin, they never received Jesus as Lord and Savior, just remember we’re not saved by our good works.
Titus 3:2-7 Not by works of righteousness which we have done, but according to his mercy he saved us, by the washing of regeneration, and renewing of the Holy Ghost; (meaning to be born again) 6Which he shed on us abundantly through Jesus Christ our Saviour; 7That being justified by his grace, we should be made heirs according to the hope of eternal life.
Ephesians 2:8-9 For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: 9Not of works, lest any man should boast.
Ø Jesus pointed out this truth in
Matthew 7:22 Many will say to me in that day, Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in thy name? and in thy name have cast out devils? and in thy name done many wonderful works? 23And then will I profess unto them, I never knew you: depart from me, ye that work iniquity
Let me say that this is a good verse to show us that if a person is ever saved the Lord could never say that He never knew him or her because He would have known them when they were saved.
A saved person will always be a child of God; he can never be lost again.
If a person could be saved at one time and then lost again Jesus could not say that He never knew him because He would have known him when he was saved, let me say it like this if a person is once saved he’ll die saved, what he does after he or she is saved will be reviewed at the judgment seat of Christ, the judgment of the saved, if we sin after we’re saved we will possible lose rewards but never our salvation, there’s obedient children and there’s disobedient children.
Paul said;
Ephesians 5:1 Be ye therefore followers of God, as dear children;--- so there must be children of God that can become not so DEAR at times.
So works will not be good enough to save us. Works has to do with our rewards, if works could save us then Jesus died in vain, if we could be saved by works what was the point in Him paying our sin debt?
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When men reject the knowledge of God and His plan of salvation, they are implying that they will stand on their own merit or in their own righteousness.
So, this book or books of works will contain a record of all their deeds, good and bad, to demonstrate that they fall short of God’s righteousness and have no basis upon which to stand accepted (justified) before God. This judgment proves them to be lost sinners and in need of Christ’s righteousness by faith.
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13And 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.
The unsaved who have died on the seas, whose bodies have never been recovered, will be raised as a complete body, a Hugh fish may have swallowed them up, and perhaps a bigger fish comes along and swallows that fish, but God is God and He will bring their body together from what ever condition it may be in, even if the bodies are disintegrated into nothing God will call it together, He’s God. All lost sinners will stand at this judgment, all the way from Cain to the very last one to die lost, they’ll all be there.
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14And death and hell were cast into the lake of fire. This is the second death.
15And whosoever was not found written in the book of life was cast into the lake of fire.
Death here means the grave gives up the bodies; hell gives up the souls. No one is said to escape.
15And whosoever was not found written in the book of life was cast into the lake of fire.
Death and hell were brought into existence by man’s sin, and will end where all sinners do, and that is the lake of fire. This involves an actual, eternal separation from God in conscious, unceasing torment.
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Ø And now lets read from chapter 21:
Chapter 21 begins a new section of the Book of Revelation: all of the judgments, the deaths, heart ach and pain is finally gone for ever. At last there’ll be a clean atmosphere of the eternal morning and the vast city of God sparkles like a diamond in the radiance of his presence.
There is very little revealed about the character of the new heaven and earth in Scripture. The main emphasis is its uniqueness; it is much different from the old.
In the book of Revelation we have read about the history of the Church, Israel, and the Gentile nations and right on to the end of the millennium.
What we’re about to read in the remainder of the Revelation are about things that takes place after the Millennium.
Satan and his demons have been judged, and they, along with all the wicked of the human race, have been cast into the lake of fire.
The struggle between good and evil is over. From here on all is new, all is eternal.
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Listen as I read 21:1 And I saw a new heaven and a new earth: for the first heaven and the first earth were passed away; and there was no more sea.
Every body don’t agree as to what this 1st verse means, some say that this old earth will be completely destroyed and annihilated and that God will create a new one all together, but I am of the opinion that God don’t annilate any thing, not even Satan and his demons or the lost sinner, God sends them to the LAKE OF FIRE, they’re not annihilated.
The Lord will destroy this earth by fire and then make the new heavens and the new earth. This destruction of the earth and the atmosphere does not mean its annihilation but, rather, its purification by fire and the recasting of these purified elements into a new, more beautiful, sinless and perfect earth to be the dwelling place of a sinless and purified people forever and ever.
Many of the prophets, both Old and New Testaments, told about this new heaven and new earth.
Isaiah 65 17-19 For, behold, I create new heavens and a new earth: and the former shall not be remembered, nor come into mind. 18But be ye glad and rejoice for ever in that which I create: for, behold, I create Jerusalem a rejoicing, and her people a joy. 19And I will rejoice in Jerusalem, and joy in my people: and the voice of weeping shall be no more heard in her, nor the voice of crying.
PS.102: 25-27 Of old hast thou laid the foundation of the earth: and the heavens are the work of thy hands. 26They shall perish, but thou shalt endure: yea, all of them shall wax old like a garment; as a vesture shalt thou change them, and they shall be changed: (notice-changed-not annilated) 27But thou art the same, and thy years shall have no end.
2nd pet.3:12-13 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? 13Nevertheless we, according to his promise, look for new heavens and a new earth, wherein dwelleth righteousness.
Psalm 89:11 The heavens are thine, the earth also is thine: as for the world and the fulness thereof, thou hast founded them.
Psalm 24:1 The earth is the LORD’S, and the fulness thereof; the world, and they that dwell therein.
The purpose for the passing of this present order is that it should be replaced with a new order "anew heaven and a new earth." So we may ask, how heaven and earth will be replaced. The two possibilities are by annihilation or renovation.
A new heaven and a new earth do not necessarily indicate another heaven and another earth. It’s not likely that the present heaven and earth will become extinct.
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Let me remind us that there are 3 heavens, the 1st is where the birds fly, the planes fly, the air we breathe, Satan’s domain for the time being, he is the prince and power of the air-Eph 2:2
(1st heaven) the firmament (Gen. 1:8 And God called the firmament Heaven.), referring to the earth’s atmosphere.
And the 2nd heaven is where the planets are, the stars. (2nd heaven) the stellar universe in its expanse (Ps. 19:1 The heavens declare the glory of God; and the firmament sheweth his handywork.)
And the 3rd heaven is where God the Father dwells, -(3rd heaven) the unique dwelling place of God
Heb. 4:14 Seeing then that we have a great high priest, that is passed into the heavens, Jesus the Son of God--so the 3rd heaven will remain the same it will not change, Paul tells about these 3 heavens.
Ø Paul said in;
2 Corinthians 12:2-4 I knew a man in Christ above fourteen years ago, (whether in the body, I cannot tell; or whether out of the body, I cannot tell: God knoweth;) such an one caught up to the third heaven.** 3And I knew such a man, (whether in the body, or out of the body, I cannot tell: God knoweth;) 4How that he was caught up into paradise,** and heard unspeakable words, which it is not lawful for a man to utter.
We believe that Paul is telling about himself as he was stoned at LYSTRA and dragged out of the city for dead, it’s possible that Paul did die and God revived him because God wasn’t finished with Paul yet.
Acts 14:19-20 And there came thither certain Jews from Antioch and Iconium, who persuaded the people, and, having stoned Paul, drew him out of the city, supposing he had been dead. 20Howbeit, as the disciples stood round about him, he rose up, and came into the city: and the next day he departed with Barnabas to Derbe.
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The heaven that is purged, or "passed away" is the heaven that became defiled because of Satan and his wickedness. This is the atmospheric heaven surrounding our earth, the air we breathe and where the birds fly, this is the domain of Satan Ephesians 2:2
