Jesus Is Still Sovereign
Revelation 20:11-15
When Judgement Arrives
In the past 7 weeks the Sunday messages have been focussing on areas and situations which come up in our lives. Consistently, as we have focussed on these situations, we have seen again and again that Jesus Is Still Sovereign.
… the overwhelmed can come to Jesus for soul-reviving rest.
… those in the spiritual battle will stand firm with Jesus.
… the lonely always have an identity in Jesus.
… uncertainty is removed because Jesus knows the plan.
… the powerless are covered by the strength of Jesus.
… persecution confirms that Jesus has called us to follow His footsteps.
… end times events lift our eyes to expect the arrival of our Sovereign Lord.
That is the preaching journey that we have been on together.
Today we come to the last message in the series. With our focus being on the day of judgement.
That day when Jesus returns and there is a public declaration to every person who has ever lived about your and my eternal destiny.
Will we spend an eternity with Jesus?
Or will we spend an eternity in the lake of fire?
It is an unprecedented moment.
How many times have we heard that word in these COVID-19 times … “unprecedented”.
The events are “unprecedented”.
The response is “unprecedented”.
The social and financial cost it “unprecedented”.
I tell you when Jesus returns then we will really know what “unprecedented”.
After judgement day there will be “a new heaven and a new earth, for the first heaven and the first earth will pass away (Revelation 21:1)
After judgement day “God will wipe every tear from their eyes. There will be no more death or mourning or crying or pain, for the old order of things has passed away.” (Revelation 21:4).
On judgement day the trumpet will sound, the dead will be raised imperishable, and we will be changed … the perishable will be clothed with the imperishable, and the mortal with immortality (1 Corinthians 15:52-54).
Yes it is true that, for those who believe in Jesus, our faith enables us to push aside all fear, doubt, concern and trepidation about that day. I certainly don’t want to discourage you or suddenly make you question your eternal salvation. Yet, at the same time, we can never just casually brush the significance of this day aside. Judgement day is the last day … the very last day … of this existence as we know it.
So what is going to happen on that day?
Revelation 20:11-15
11 Then I saw a great white throne and him who was seated on it. The earth and the heavens fled from his presence, and there was no place for them. 12 And I saw the dead, great and small, standing before the throne, and books were opened. Another book was opened, which is the book of life. The dead were judged according to what they had done as recorded in the books. 13 The sea gave up the dead that were in it, and death and Hades gave up the dead that were in them, and each person was judged according to what they had done. 14 Then death and Hades were thrown into the lake of fire. The lake of fire is the second death. 15 Anyone whose name was not found written in the book of life was thrown into the lake of fire.
This is an unprecedented event because of the location. “I saw a great white throne and Him who was seated on it.” Here we are in the very presence of God.
In Exodus 33 Moses asked to see the Glory of God – God agreed but Moses could only see the back of God because God said, “you cannot see my face, for no one may see me and live”. (Exodus 33:20)
When Isaiah saw a vision of the Lord seated on His throne Isaiah cried out, “Woe to me ... I am ruined! For I am a man of unclean lips ... and my eyes have seen the King, the LORD Almighty.” (Isaiah 6:5)
Sinners cannot look upon God. That is the general rule. But on judgement day there is an exception.
Heaven and earth flee from his presence.
But humanity, the dead great and small, stand before the throne.
The exception emphasises the unprecedented seriousness of judgement day. Judgement day will be a day when very sinner, representing every sin ever committed, stands before God and His throne awaiting God's verdict.
For some it will be the first … and last … time they will be allowed to see the face of God.
For others it is going to be just the beginning of an eternity of being in God’s presence. A delicious entree before gathering to celebrate at the wedding supper of the Lamb.
But, no matter who they are, everyone there at judgement day is stained with sin. The proof of this universal sinfulness is in the books.
Revelation 20:12
Books were opened. Another book was opened, which is the book of life. The dead were judged according to what they had done as recorded in the books
At a radio station there is always a sign which says `On Air'. Whenever that sign is lit up the announcers must be careful what they say because all the listeners can hear them. In heaven we have a similar on air event. Except it isn’t a radio – it is a series of books.
It is a written record. This record is spoken about elsewhere in Scripture.
Jesus says in Matthew 12:36
I tell you that everyone will have to give account on the day of judgment for every empty word they have spoken.
1 Corinthians 4:5
Judge nothing before the appointed time; wait until the Lord comes. He will bring to light what is hidden in darkness and will expose the motives of the heart.
I want you to picture this moment.
Every person who has ever lived in all of history.
From every nation and tribe and people and language.
They are all gathered … and judged … according to what is in the books.
At some point the spot-light of judgement is going to be … on you.
Every careless word and all our secrets laid bare.
All the thoughts which we have thought of others … even those who are closest to us.
These moments of blatant disobedience.
Those times when we acted in secret … thinking no-one would ever know.
There are even going to be sins displayed which we never even gave a second thought too … but they are sins for which we are still accountable.
Everyone will know.
Maybe it won’t be exactly like that, but you get the point don’t you. Even for a believer judgement day could be a day that makes us a little fearful.
Judgement day is not like a funeral. I’ve yet to be at a funeral where people really say what they think about the person who has died. Usually you get to hear all the nice things and funny stories.
Judgement day is not like an autobiography. Where you get to write the story and decide what you want people to know and what you want to keep hidden.
No one has the ability to edit the outcome. No-one has the possibility of making themselves look better. On judgement day our story will be marked by truth telling, free from the distorted influence of our own self-image and self deception and self interest.
What is the purpose of this moment?
The purpose is to establish a baseline.
Romans 3:10-12
10 ‘There is no one righteous, not even one; 11 there is no one who understands; there is no one who seeks God. 12 All have turned away, they have together become worthless; there is no one who does good, not even one.
Once all the books has been read and the judgement has been made there will be no question in the mind of anyone in the crowd.
No one’s works are good enough.
No one’s acts of service were faithful enough.
No one’s tithes and offerings were abundant enough.
No one’s spiritual gifts were sufficient enough.
No one’s sacrifices were sacrificial enough.
Every person, from every tribe and nation and people and language, great and small, from all of history, will be in agreement. There is not one person in that crowd that deserves to be saved on the basis of their account as recorded in the books. It is an unprecedented moment of human agreement.
Then … then another book is opened which is the book of life.
You don’t get in, unless your name is in the book of life.
You can’t sneak in later, unless your name is in the book of life.
There is no purgatory … a place where you work off your sin.
There is no cross-over from the lake of fire into the eternal city.
Everything hinges around this book.
Church attendance will not get your name in the book.
The number of people you invited to church will not get your name in the book.
Singing will not get your name in the book.
Your baptism will not get your name in the book.
Memorising Scripture will not get your name in the book.
Theological degrees will not get your name in the book.
Yet, knowing all realities
… having heard our own personal account.
… having been reminded of the full extent of our sinfulness.
… being aware of the insignificance of any of our works.
We can be standing there in that crowd before the book of life is opened and have 100% confidence that our name is in the book of life.
People around us in the crowd will be looking at us.
How?
How can you be so confident?
What makes you so sure that your name is written?
We will be able to turn to them and say because I know the name of the Judge.
His name is Messiah – Christ – the anointed One who has been set apart as holy. So that his holiness can be my holiness. The Scriptures “are written that you may believe that Jesus is the Messiah, the Son of God, and that by believing you may have life in his name” (John 20:31).
His name is Immanuel – God with us – the Word make flesh. He made himself nothing, a servant in human likeness. “To all who did receive him, to those who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God” (John 1:12).
His is the Son, the One, sent by the Father so that we may have come out of spiritual death into life. The Scriptures are written “to you who believe in the name of the Son of God so that you may know that you have eternal life” (1 John 5:13).
He is the Shepherd the One who gathers the flock. “The sheep listen to his voice. He calls his own sheep by name and leads them out” (John 10:3).
Why can we be confident? Because we know his name … and “‘Everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved”.
The books have been consulted and the account has been made.
Another book is opened, which is the book of life.
There is no fear.
You look to Jesus, Messiah, Immanuel, the Son, the Lord … the Sovereign Judge.
You hear what you already know!
Your name.
A declaration … an announcement … a confirmation … to every person from every nation and tribe and people and language … from all time …
That you …
Say your name!
You … have been given the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous Judge, will award to all who have called on his name.
Prayer
