Verse 12-From the big shots to the nobodies!
From the up and comers to the down and outers!
From the CEO to the lowest employee!
From the professors to the uneducated!
From the rich to the homeless…they all are the accused on that day if they die lost.
2 words for hell in scripture…hades and gehenna, which can be likened to a
local jail and prison…the one is a temporary holding place, no less vile, just
less permanent.
Notice the words death and hell in vv. 13, 14.
Death gives up the body, hell gives up the soul, then both body and soul are
cast into gehenna, the eternal lake of fire. There is no appeal and no parole.
The Accused
4 groups at the Great White Throne:
The sinners…the ones who hate God and don’t mind speaking out…they hate the
Church, don’t believe the Bible.
The self-righteous…who think they will go to heaven because they live a good life.
They think the gospel is for perverts, thieves, murderers, and don’t see themselves as the real sinners. [Pharisee and publican…both prayed at the same altar. The Pharisee said, thank you God that I’m a good person and not like this sinner, the Publican said, I’m a sinner, forgive me!
Isaiah 64:6-But we are all as an unclean thing, and all our righteousnesses are
as filthy rags.
The slow deciders…they know they need to get saved, they want to get saved,
and they’re “gonna” get saved…someday. But they keep putting it off.
But the Bible makes it plain how important it is to deal with this immediately.
Hebrews 3:15-Today if ye will hear his voice, harden not your hearts…
2 Cor. 6:2 …behold, now is the accepted time; behold, now is the day of salvation.
The slow deciders need to know there’s no 2nd chance at the Great White
Throne…just as in Noah’s day there was years of warning and preaching…yet
suddenly the door slammed shut, and the sky began to fall, and it was too late!
The Sunday Church Goers…the ones who have their name on the church roll but
not in the Lamb’s Book of Life.
They’ll go to hell w/ a Bible in their hand, so to speak.
The Evidence
Verse 12-Books [plural] What are these books? I believe there are at least 3 books
opened on that day:
The book of works—a lost person’s life. “according to their works”
Lost person…you need to realize that God is recording your works, your sins…and on the day of judgment, nothing will remain hidden…the books will be open!
Psalm 139:1-2-O Lord, thou hast searched me, and known me. [2] Thou knowest my downsitting and mine uprising, thou understandest my thought afar off.
Ezekiel 11:5-And the Spirit of the Lord fell upon me, and said unto me…I know the things that come into your mind, every one of them.
Psalm 139:4-For there is not a word in my tongue, but, lo, O Lord, thou knowest it
altogether.
Hebrews 4:13-Neither is there any creature that is not manifest in his sight: but all things are naked and opened unto the eyes of him with whom we have to do.
Matthew 12:36-But I say unto you, That every idle word that men shall speak, they shall give account thereof in the day of judgment.
Luke 12:2-3-For there is nothing covered, that shall not be revealed; neither hid, that shall not be known. [3] Therefore whatsoever ye have spoken in darkness shall be heard in the light; and that which ye have spoken in the ear in closets shall be proclaimed upon the housetops.
2nd book opened will be the Bible.
John 12:48 …the word that I have spoken, the same shall judge him in the last day.
This Bible I hold in my hand is the standard by which all the lost will one day
be judged.
“All have sinned and come short…” is a verse that will have to come to mind.
Most of us don’t realize how sinful we are until we compare ourselves to God’s righteousness.
The lost will see from the Bible how sinful they are, and how perfect a plan God
had for them, and they rejected it
Ill.—hanging from cliff by chain w/ 10 links…how many have to break to fall?
Only 1!
Rev. 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.
The third book: Book of Life…These 3 books tell the story. Book 1 says, “this is your life“, book 2 says, “here’s my plan“, book 3 says, “you didn’t do anything about it!”
