“The Great White Throne Judgment”
INTRODUCTION: This morning, we took a look at what will happen to the SAVED right after the Rapture … AS FAR AS our judgment at “The Judgment Seat Of Christ”. The LOST will also be judged … BUT … at a DIFFERENT judgment.
There is NO GENERAL judgment, where the lost and the saved stand at the same judgment seat. Some people get the idea that we will all stand together in Heaven, with the “goats” on 1 side, and the “sheep” on the other side. They think that there will be some kind of a “balance” in Heaven … a “scale”, which weighs the good against the bad. If the good outweighs the bad, you will go to Heaven. If the bad outweighs the good, you will go to Hell. The Bible doesn’t speak of this anywhere. The “sheep” and the “goats” of Matthew 25 is not talking about “The Great White Throne Judgment”, but entry into the Millennial Kingdom.
Let’s take a look at “The Great White Throne Judgment” – Turn to Revelation 20:11-15. We will use the same outline that we used in the message this morning on “The Judgment Seat Of Christ”.
1.- THE TIME – This judgment takes place more than 1007 years after the Rapture of the Church … after the Tribulation Period … after the Millennial Kingdom … after the 1000 year captivity of Satan in Hell … after the final battle of Gog and Magog … after Satan is cast into the Lake of Fire … after the earth has been destroyed. This will happen just before the new Heaven and the new Earth are created for us to enjoy for eternity.
This judgment will take place at the “throne” of God – 20:11. It is called “great” and “white”. “Great” because there is none greater. It is God’s final court … there is no higher court to which you can appeal. It is the Supreme Court of Heaven. It is HIS Throne of Judgment … SO … it is called “great”.
It is “white”. WHY? BECAUSE … of the purity of His judgment and justice. There’s no politics involved … no bribery … no plea bargaining … no gain time. JUST … the pure, holy, and righteous justice of God being poured out.
It’s at the “throne”. This isn’t like the “throne” in Revelation 4:2-3 where we see a rainbow … mercy. There is no mercy at this throne … only justice.
2.- THE PARTICIPANTS – Only the LOST will be at “The Great White Throne” judgment. There is no separation of the “sheep” and the “goats”. Everyone here will enter into the Lake of Fire to be eternally condemned with Satan.
NOTICE who they are – 20:12.
“dead” – These are the Spiritually “dead” … “dead” in trespasses and sins. They were never born-again. Jesus came to give us “life” … BUT … they are Spiritually “dead”.
“small and great” – TURN to Romans Chapter 2.
2:11 – Social status doesn’t matter with God. He isn’t influenced by money, reputation, or even morality. 1 Samuel 16:7 – “for the Lord seeth not as man seeth; for man looketh on the outward appearance, but the Lord looketh on the heart.” Both the “small and great” will stand before God … and they will stand CONDEMNED because of their sin.
How much sin does it take to condemn a person? How much poison does it take in a glass of water to make it deadly? The glass may contain 99% water, and only 1% poison … but the whole glass is condemned as deadly. How much sin does it take to condemn a person to Hell? Since we were BORN in sin, and we are 100% sinful by nature, that question isn’t even relevant. The glass contains 100% poison. The wages of sin is death … yours … or Jesus.
3.- THE JUDGE – The Judge isn’t named here … BUT … we know who He is. John 5:22 – “For the Father judgeth no man, but hath committed all judgment unto the Son:” Jesus has the right to be the judge, jury, prosecuting attorney and witness. After all, it was His grace that was spurned … He is the One who was rejected. It is only fair that Jesus is the One to be the judge at the “Great White Throne”.
Romans Chapter 2
2:2 – Jesus is the God of TRUTH. Jesus said in John 14:6 – “I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me.” Man tries to hide his sins under the blanket of respectability … decorating his immorality with bows and ribbons. BUT … the TRUTH will come out in this judgment. They will be seen for who they are … Spiritually dead.
2:5-6 – They haven’t gotten away with sin. “Be sure your sins will find you out.” Maybe they were never exposed on earth … never caught … never condemned … accepted by society. BUT … this is the “Great White Throne” judgment. Nothing has escaped the eye of the Omniscient Judge.
2:16 – All secrets will be revealed … secret sins, secret thoughts … the secret intents of the heart. The EVIDENCE ill be presented. No high paid defense attorney to get you off. No hung jury. No loophole in the law. No evidence that has been compromised or withheld. Everything will be revealed. The Judge is in charge.
4.- THE CRITERION – What will be judged? Back to Revelation Chapter 20.
20:12 – The EVIDENCE will all be there … written down … in the “books”. Every thought, word, and deed has been recorded. Nothing has been left out … nothing too small or incidental to be recorded. There won’t be even one GOOD WORK there in those books. “But what about all the GOOD things that I did … won’t they count for anything? I went to church … I tithed … I was a pillar in the community … I was a good father, wife, neighbor!” LISTEN to Hebrews 11:6 – “But without faith it is impossible to please him:” Romans 14:23 – “for whatsoever is not of faith is sin.”
If you’re not His child, all the good in the world won’t please Him, and get you into Heaven. Rebekah Philman is a good kid. BUT … she isn’t in my will. She may be good to her parents … make the honor roll some day … get a scholarship to U.F. … become Student Body President … get elected to the Senate. BUT … she won’t be in my will. Know why? BECAUSE … she isn’t my daughter! I’m very proud of who she is … and what she will accomplish. BUT … her good works won’t get her into my will.
At the “Great White Throne”, if you’re not a Child of God, your good works will mean nothing … zero … zilch. WHY? BECAUSE … you’re a Child of the Devil. You’re not God’s child. All your good works will be tainted by sin … defiled. They won’t be worth anything at the “Great White Throne”.
Multitudes say that they want to be judged by their good works. That’s what they’re counting on. BUT … Ephes. 2:8-9 – “For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: [9] Not of works, lest any man should boast.”
The PURPOSE of the “Great White Throne” judgment is to reward the wicked for their wickedness. They AREN’T judged out of the “book of life” … they’re judged out of the “books” … of works. There are no good works that they can point to … BECAUSE … salvation doesn’t come by “works”.
What happened to their good works that they did here on earth? 20:11 They’re going to be standing there with all their good works burned up. Their monuments that they built will be gone. The charities that they gave to will be destroyed. The churches that they attended have been dissolved. They have no treasures stored up in Heaven. They have no inheritance, because they aren’t a child of God. Their whole life centered on planet earth … AND … now it’s GONE! They have nothing to point to … it’s all GONE.
The “books” will condemn them. The “book of life” is just there to SUPPORT the verdict … an awful BLANK with your name no where to be seen.
In 20:13 we see the TRIAL. It’s NOT for Jesus to see PROOF of your sin … He’s omniscient. It’s for the LOST to see their sin. They will see that they don’t have a leg to stand upon. The VERDICT is obvious … GUILTY!
No one is exempt from this trial. All the LOST will appear. The SEA will give up its dead. The 2nd RESURRECTION will take place … the resurrection of all the LOST. John 5:28-29 – “Marvel not at this: for the hour is coming, in the which all that are in the graves shall hear his voice, [29] And shall come forth; they that have done good, unto the resurrection of life; and they that have done evil, unto the resurrection of damnation.”
There’s 1000 years that separate the 2 resurrections. When Jesus comes at the Rapture, those Christians who have already died will come with Him to receive their glorified bodies … the 1st RESURRECTION. Those of us who are taken in the Rapture, our bodies will instantly be changed into our new glorified bodies.
Take a look at the 1st RESURRECTION – 20:4-6. Who first rose from the dead? Jesus. If you are saved, you had part in His resurrection. We are ONE with Him. When Jesus rose from the dead, YOU rose from the dead. When Jesus comes again for us, we will literally take part in His 1st RESURRECTION.
What about THIS resurrection … the resurrection of the LOST? They will ALSO receive a resurrected body … ONLY … it will be different. It will be a body fitted for destruction (Romans 9:22). They will be able to burn in the Lake of Fire for eternity … YET … never be burned up.
5.- THE REWARDS – The PURPOSE of the “Judgment Seat Of Christ” is to reward His bride. The PURPOSE of the “Great White Throne” judgment is to REWARD those who rejected Him.
Take a look at the VERDICT – 20:14. The 2nd Resurrection results in the 2nd DEATH. You see, the 1st DEATH doesn’t end it all, does it? There IS life after death. Hebrews 9:27 – “And as it is appointed unto men once to die, but after this the judgment:”
DEATH is just the beginning of eternity. WHERE you spend eternity is determined BEFORE you die the 1st time. Afterwards, it’s too late. If you are a Christian, you are born TWICE … AND … you die once. If you are LOST, you are born once, and you DIE twice. This 2nd death is the gateway to the Lake of Fire.
See 20:15 – There is NO APPEAL … the verdict is FINAL. The PENALTY is eternal torment in the Lake of Fire. No hope … no peace … no end.
The question is often asked, “Will there be degrees of punishment in Hell?” I believe that there will be … JUST LIKE … there will be degrees of reward in Heaven for the saved. I believe that those who had never hear the gospel, or had the opportunity to be saved, won’t suffer the same as those who blatantly reject the gospel of salvation. Matthew 23:14 – “Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for ye devour widows’ houses, and for a pretence make long prayer: therefore ye shall receive the greater damnation.” This, however, doesn’t diminish or negate the fact that Hell is a place of torment.
CONCLUSION: Hebrews 2:3 – “How shall we escape, if we neglect so great salvation;” Jesus suffered on the cross to suffer Hell for you and me. He died to take OUR penalty upon Himself. He was condemned of your sin, so you might escape condemnation. How shall anyone escape, if they neglect so great a salvation?
Jesus offers an alternative to the Lake of Fire. Jesus said in John 6:37 – “All that the Father giveth me shall come to me; and him that cometh to me I will in no wise cast out.” Jesus wants to save you from the penalty of your sins … AND … be the Lord of your life. If you’ve never come to Him, won’t you come to Him tonight.
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“The Great White Throne Judgment”
INTRODUCTION: Revelation 20:11-15
1.- THE TIME – Just before the New Heaven & New Earth.
- “great” – Because it is God’s court.
- “white” – Because His judgment is pure & holy.
- “throne” – Not like in Revelation 4:2-3.
2.- THE PARTICIPANTS – 20:12
- “dead” – Spiritually dead in trespasses and sins.
- “small and great” – Romans 2:11 – 1 Samuel 16:7
- We are ALL born in sin.
3.- THE JUDGE – John 5:22
- Romans 2:2 – Jesus is the God of TRUTH – John 14:6.
- 2:5-6 – You can’t get away with sin … He’s Omniscient.
- 2:16 – The evidence is irrefutable.
4.- THE CRITERION – Revelation Chapter 20
- 20:12 – The “books” records sins … no good works there.
- Only faith in Christ produces good works – Hebrews 11:6, Romans 14:23.
- Those who are not His children will receive no inheritance.
- Good works will not be relevant here – Ephesians 2:8-9.
- 20:11 – Their “good works” were destroyed.
- The “book of life” supports the verdict … a blank space.
- 20:13 – The TRIAL – the VERDICT is obvious.
- The 2nd Resurrection is for the LOST – John 5:28-29.
- 1000 years separate the 2 resurrections.
- 20:4-6 – The 1st Resurrection of the SAVED … we are identified with the resurrection of Christ.
- The LOST will receive a resurrected body, fit for destruction.
5.- THE REWARDS – 20:14 – The VERDICT.
- The 2nd Resurrection results in the 2nd Death – Hebrews 9:27
- A Christian is born twice … dies once.
- The Lost is born once … dies twice.
- 20:15 – There is no appeal.
- Degrees of punishment in Hell? Matthew 23:14
- Hell is still a place of torment.
CONCLUSION – Hebrews 2:3
- Come to Jesus … or be judged – John 6:37.
