JUDGMENT WILL BE NO JOKE
Text: Rev.20: 11-15; Acts 17: 31
Intro: The Great White Throne Judgment is an event that is still at least 1,007 years in the future; but it is as certain as death. It will be God’s final act of justice upon sin and the sinner.
This judgment will be unlike many modern court cases of our day. Warren Wiersbe notes the differences this way:
At the white throne, there will be a Judge but no jury, a prosecution but no defense, a sentence but no appeal. No one will be able to defend himself or accuse God of unrighteousness. What an awesome scene it will be! (Warren W. Wiersbe, Be Victorious: Victor Books, Wheaton, IL., pg. 144).
When Jesus ascends the Great White Throne for the final judgment, all excuses will be useless. The time for mercy will have ended. All that will remain is passing sentence upon the hopelessly lost.
If I could make one point perfectly clear today, it would be that every person who does not know Christ as his or her personal Savior, stands in jeopardy of The Great White Throne Judgment. But there is hope for the lost sinner through faith in Jesus Christ.
It’s my prayer today that anyone who finds himself in danger of this judgment would cast himself upon the mercy of the Lord Jesus Christ before it’s too late. This could be your last chance.
Theme: At The Great White Throne Judgment:
I. GOD’S FACE SHALL BE UNVEILED
Rev.20: 11 “And 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.”
A. It Will Be The Face Of Jesus.
Acts 10: 41 “Not to all the people, but unto witnesses chosen before of God, even to us, who did eat and drink with him (Jesus) after he rose from the dead.
42 And he commanded us to preach unto the people, and to testify that it is he which was ordained of God to be the Judge of quick and dead.”
Rom.2: 16 “In the day when God shall judge the secrets of men by Jesus Christ according to my gospel.”
B. Jesus Will Act Not As Savior, But As Judge.
John 5: 22 “For the Father judgeth no man, but committed all judgment unto the Son:
…………………………………………………….
27 “And hath given him authority to execute judgment also, because he is the Son of man.”
NOTE: The story is told of an incident that happened during the days of the Old West. One day a respected young lawyer was walking down the wooden sidewalk of a little western town when he noticed a buckboard racing down the town’s street, out of control. Something had obviously spooked the horses, sending them full gallop down the street. As the lawyer watched this incident unfold, he noticed out of the corner of his eye, that a little boy, unaware of the impending danger, started to cross the street. Without even thinking, the lawyer made a dash for the child, barely scooping him out of the path of the oncoming buckboard, and certain death.
Years went by, and eventually the lawyer became a judge in his particular territory. One day a young man was brought before him, accused of murder. He was tried and found guilty by the jury. When time for sentencing came, the judge said, “Young man, you have been tried by a jury of your piers and found guilty of murder in the first degree. For your crime you will be taken to the gallows one week from today, where you will be hanged by the neck until dead.”
At that moment the identity of this judge finally dawned on the young man. This was the man who had saved his life so many years before. With this realization, the young murderer said, “But judge wait! I remember you now. You’re the man that saved my life when I was just a kid. Can’t you help me now? Can’t you give me another chance?
“Yes,” said the judge. “I remember that day so long ago. But that was then, and this is now. Then I was your savior. Now I am your judge.” With that, the judge brought down his gavel, and the young man was taken away. (Source Unknown)
II. THE FACTS WILL BE UNCOVERED
A. The Lost Will Be Judged From God’s Digests.
1. God’s Word will be the standard of judgment.
John 12: 48 “He that rejecteth me (Jesus), and receiveth not my words, hath one that judgeth him: the word that I have spoken, the same shall judge him in the last day.”
2. God’s record books will substantiate the guilt of the lost sinner.
Rev.20: 12 “And I saw the dead (spiritually dead—lost), 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.
13 And 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.”
NOTE: [1] No one will be able to accuse God of false accusations, for He will have recorded everything—every word, every act, every thought, and every motive.
[2] Many people seem to think that their sins have been cleverly covered. But dear friend, don’t be fooled; God sees all. Nothing escapes His all-seeing eyes.
3. The Book of Life will confirm the sinner’s lostness.
Rev.20: 12b “…and another book was opened, which is the book of life…”
Rev.21: 27 “And there shall in no wise enter into it (Heaven) any thing that defileth, neither whatsoever worketh abomination, or maketh a lie: but they which are written in the Lamb’s book of life.”
NOTE: Only the names of those who have received eternal life by trusting Christ as their Lord, Master, and Savior will be found in the Lamb’s Book of Life. Is your name written there?
B. The Degree Of Punishment Will Be Determined.
1. This principle is taught in the gospel of Matthew.
Matt.11: 20 “Then began he to upbraid the cities wherein most of his mighty works were done, because they repented not:
21 Woe unto thee, Chorazin! woe unto thee, Bethsaida! for if they mighty works which were done in you, had been done in Tyre and Sidon, they would have repented long ago in sackcloth and ashes.
22 But I say unto you, It shall be more tolerable for Tyre and Sidon at the judgment, than for you.
23 And thou, Capernaum, which art exalted unto heaven, shalt be brought down to hell: for if the mighty works, which have been done in thee, had been done in Sodom, it would have remained until this day.
24 But I say unto you, That it shall be more tolerable for the land of Sodom in the day of judgment, than for thee.”
2. This principle is taught in the gospel of Luke.
Luke 12: 47 “And that servant, which knew his lord’s will, and prepared not himself, neither did according to his will, shall be beaten with many stripes.
48 But he that knew not, and did commit things worthy of stripes, shall be beaten with few stripes. For unto whomsoever much is given, of him shall be much required: and to whom men have committed much, of him they will ask the more.”
NOTE: [1] The Great White Throne Judgment will not be for the purpose of deciding who is lost or saved, for that will have already been decided during one’s life. John 3: 18 makes this very clear when it says, “He that believeth on him is not condemned: but he that believeth not is condemned already, because he hath not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God.”
[2] The purpose of this judgment will strictly be to determine the degree of punishment. No matter what degree of punishment is determined, it will still be agonizing, and it will still be for eternity.
III. THE FATE OF THE LOST WILL BE UNFATHOMABLE
A. The Suffering Of The Lost Will Be Without Partiality.
1. John says that the lost, “small and great” alike, will go into the Lake of Fire.
Rev.20: 12a “And I saw the dead, small and great, stand before God…”
2. John further implies the impartiality of God’s judgment upon the lost with the word, “whosoever.”
Rev.20: 15 “And whosoever was not found written in the book of life was cast into the lake of fire.”
B. The Suffering Of The Lost Will Be Painful.
Luke 16: 22 “And it came to pass, that the beggar died, and was carried by the angels into Abraham’s bosom: the rich man also died, and was buried;
23 And in hell he lift up his eyes, being in torments, and seeth Abraham afar off, and Lazarus in his bosom.
24 And he cried and said, Father Abraham, have mercy on me, and send Lazarus, that he may dip the tip of his finger in water, and cool my tongue; for I am tormented in this flame.”
C. The Suffering Of The Lost Will Be Psychological.
1. The doomed sinner will have all eternity to remember his life.
Luke 16: 25 “But Abraham said, Son, remember, that thou in thy lifetime receivedst thy good things, and likewise Lazarus evil things: but now he is comforted, and thou art tormented.”
NOTE: [1] The word, “son” refers to the fact that the rich man was the physical descendant of Abraham, not to his spiritual relationship.
[2] Abraham’s statement to the rich man in hell clearly indicates that the lost will possess conscious thought. They will be able to remember every time they ever heard the Gospel. They will remember the face of every person who witnessed to them about their need to be saved. They will remember every dirty, rotten sin they ever committed. They will remember every time they said no to the Spirit of God, as He sought to convince them of their need for Christ. In this context, the word, “remember” is a very haunting word.
2. The lost sinner will live for eternity in total darkness.
Matt.22: 13 “Then said the king to the servants, Bind him hand and foot, and take him away, and cast him into outer darkness; there shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth.”
II Pet.2: 17 “These (false teachers) are wells without water, clouds that are carried with a tempest; to whom the mist of darkness is reserved forever.”
3. The lost sinner will live for eternity amidst the ceaseless screams of anguished souls.
Matt.13: 41 “The Son of man shall send forth his angels, and they shall gather out of his kingdom all things that offend, and them which do iniquity;
42 And shall cast them into a furnace of fire: there shall be wailing and gnashing of teeth.”
D. The Suffering Of The Lost Will Be Permanent.
Matt.25: 41 “Then shall he say also unto them on the left hand, Depart from me, ye cursed, into everlasting fire, prepared for the devil and his angels:”
Rev.14: 11 “And the smoke of their torment ascendeth up forever and ever: and they have no rest day nor night, who worship the beast and his image, and whosoever receiveth the mark of his name.”
NOTE: [1] C. T. Schwarze has written a thesis called “The Bible and Science on the Everlasting Fire,” in which he seeks to prove the validity of the Lake of Fire. As an example, he uses the existence of midget or white dwarf stars. He points out the fact that there is general agreement among scientist that “…the temperature at or near the center of stars is between 25 million and 30 million degrees Fahrenheit!” (J. Dwight Pentecost, Things To Come: published by Zondervan Publishing House, Grand Rapids, Michigan, pg. 560). He further points out that these stars are so dense that they are about 5000 times smaller than would be expected for their mass. Because of the tremendous heat, everything is turned into gasses. However, due to the greatness of the pressure, these “…gasses become compressed to the consistency of a liquid…” (Ibid, pg. 560). These stars are for all practical purposes, lakes of fire.
[2] “The temperature at the center of the sun is about 27 million oF. The U. S. physicist George Gamow (1904-68) once calculated that if a pinhead could be brought to the same temperature as the material at the core of the sun, heat from the pinhead would set fire to everything for 60 miles around” (Edmund H. Harvey, Jr., editor, Reader’s Digest Book Of Facts: published by The Reader’s Digest Association, Inc., Pleasantville, New York, pg. 392).
[3] Just as the saint will receive a glorified body, fitted for eternal life in Heaven, even so the lost sinner will possess a body that not even the flames of Hell can destroy—ever burning, but never being consumed.
Theme: At The Great White Throne Judgment:
I. GOD’S FACE SHALL BE UNVEILED
II. THE FACTS WILL BE UNCOVERED
III. THE FATE OF THE LOST WILL BE
UNFATHOMABLE
