Life Ministries

    We have been looking at the major events of prophecy concerning the “last days” which include the Revelation, the Return, the Rapture, the Resurrections, and the Rewards - (also known as the Judgment Seat of Christ) - and today we will look at another judgment, the last judgment, the Great White Throne Judgment of God. It is found in the Book of Revelation 20:11-15 “Then I saw a great white throne and him who was seated on it. Earth and sky fled from his presence, and there was no place for them. 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. 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 judged accor-ding to what he had done. Then death and Hades were thrown into the Lake of Fire. The lake of fire is the second death. If anyone’s name was not found written in the book of life, he was thrown into the lake of fire.”

    As pointed out earlier, the judgment of rewards for believers has already taken place…The “Wedding Supper of the Lamb” has already taken place…The “thousand year reign” of Christ upon this earth has already taken place… And going back to verse 4 of chapter 20 - “the rest of the dead did not come to life until the thousand years were ended”…At the great white throne judgment are the “rest of the dead”… All who die apart from Christ.
    “Books were opened” it says, these are what I would call “evidence” books. In our courtrooms today, a person sits before the judge and jury and evidence is presented. Bible scholars tell us that there are four books: the Book of the Law, the Book of Life, the Book of Works, and the Lamb’s Book of Life. Romans 2:12 says “those who lived under the law will be judged by the law” meaning all who lived and died before Christ will be judged by the first three books. Ecclesiastes 12:14 also says “God shall bring every work into judgment, with every secret thing, whether good or evil”… This is to show that God is a righteous judge. Those before Christ shall be judged by the law, and those after Christ shall be judged by the last two books.
    “The dead were judged according to what they had done as “recorded in the books”! (Plural) How does it make you feel to know that everything you do and say is recorded? This is not a blanket judgment, each one of us stands alone. Some of the things that the Bible itself says is recorded in the books are:
* Psalm 139:6 “the number of our days”,
*Matthew 12:36 “careless words” are recorded.
*Malachi 3:16 “whether or not they feared God”…
    It has been thought that secret sins, missed opportunities to accept the gospel, and of course personal, unforgiven sins are recorded. However, ultimately, everyone is judged on one thing and one thing only, “If anyone’s name was not found in the book of life, he was thrown into the lake of fire. The lake of fire is the second death.” So, you can live once, and die twice…or live twice, and die once. (Unless you are alive when Jesus comes…)  R. U. “Born Again?”