"The Great White Throne Judgment"

"THE GREAT WHITE THRONE JUDGMENT"

Revelation 20:11-15

INTRODUCTION:

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.

I.- THE TIME –

A. This judgment takes place more than 1007 years after the Rapture of the Church

. … after the Tribulation Period

1.… after the Millennial Kingdom

2. … after the 1000 year captivity of Satan in Hell

3. … after the final battle of Gog and Magog

4.… after Satan is cast into the Lake of Fire

5. This will happen just before the new Heaven and the new Earth are created for us to

enjoy for eternity.

B. This judgment will take place at the “throne” of God – 20:11--11Then I saw a great white

throne and Him who sat on it, from whose face the earth and the heaven fled away. And

there was found no place for them.

1. It is called “great” and “white”. “Great” because there is none greater.

2. It is God’s final court … there is no higher court to which you can appeal.

3. It is the Supreme Court of Heaven.

4. It is HIS Throne of Judgment … SO … it is called “great”.

5. 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.

6. 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.

II.- THE PARTICIPANTS – The Accused

VERSE 12 1st phrase

A. The big shots and the nobodies/up and comers and down and outers/CEO and lowest

employee/professors and uneducated/kings and homeless…they all are the accused on

that day if they die lost.

1. v. 13 This is the 2nd resurrection…the resurrection of the lost. The 1st resurrection was

of saints more than 1000 years before this.

2. In other words, this isn’t about whether they are guilty or innocent…it is clear that they

are guilty.

3. This is not a trial to see whether they go free or not. This is not about allegations…this is

making it clear WHY they ARE going to hell for all eternity.

4. They have already been in hell, awaiting this judgment.

Ill.—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.

6. There is no appeal and no parole.

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, and are in your face…like Madelyn Murray O’Hare.

• THE SELFRIGHTEOUS…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. And only he got saved

that day. There are no big and little sins…it takes only 1 sin to send to hell!] No one can get

to heaven by good works.

Isaiah 64:6 and all our righteousnesses are as filthy rags.

• THESLOW 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. “The road to hell is paved

with good intentions.” But the Bible makes it plain how important it is to deal with this

immediately.

…behold, now is the accepted time; behold, now is the day of salvation.

• 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. And the

devil doesn’t mind that at all…

They may have a fancy suit or nice dresses, a s.s. attendance pin or an offering statement,

but they never truly accepted Christ for themselves! “Ye must be born again.”

HOW ABOUT YOU? Do you fit into one of these groups?