If you do evil, it will come back to hit you in the face.”
–Cliff Hudgins (Viejo and the Locoweeds)
“Woe to those who call evil good, and good evil; who put darkness for light, and light for darkness; who put bitter for sweet, and sweet for bitter!”
–Isaiah 5:20 (NKJV)
—————————————
My Pastor preached an intense sermon last Sunday, “The Saddest Word in the World.” That one word is — LOST! In that sermon he spoke of the five judgments that men face and the last one was the Great White Throne. There is, sadly, little preaching regarding that subject anymore. It is not something that people like or want to hear; one of those subjects that is put on the back burner if not on the shelf.
Let’s set the stage for this final judgment. We know that the Beast (Antichrist) and his armies will be defeated at the Battle of Armageddon. Revelation 19:20-21, states that the beast was captured and with him the false prophet. “These two were cast alive into the lake of fire burning with brimstone.” (19:20, NKJV). These are the first two to face that horrible eternal damnation. Verse 21 goes on to state that the rest were killed with the “sword which proceeded from the mouth of Him who sat on the horse…”. (NKJV) Starting with chapter 20, we see that Satan is bound in the bottomless pit for a thousand years. In verse 3, we read that “he should deceive the nations no more till the thousand years were finished. But after these things he must be released for a little while.” (NKJV)
Now, I cannot fully grasp all of this, but for some reason Satan must be released for a “little while,” or “short season.” Man has known a thousand years of peace during the Millennial Reign of Christ. The time is not perfect for man still has a sin nature, but there will be no tempter there. Sin will come from the hearts of man, and most scholars believe that Satan is released to once again to “lead the nations astray, and to assemble them for war… This will prove that man in his unregenerate state is a failure, for under these most favorable terms many will refuse to be subject to God altogether when Satan’s influence is released.” (William H. Pope)
Man must make a choice–God or evil. Satan is released from his prison, and due to man’s fallen nature some will be deceived and follow Satan in a last rebellion. How long is a “season” or a “little while” is open to wide speculation. When the foes of God who have allied themselves with Satan surround the “camp of the saints and the beloved city. And fire came down from God out of heaven and devoured them. The devil, who deceived them, was cast into the lake of fire and brimstone where the beast and the false prophet are. And they will be tormented day and night forever and ever.” (Revelation 20:9-10, NKJV) This rebellion, from the wording, seems to be somewhat successful for the armies have surrounded the camp of the saints and Jerusalem.
Then: “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. And I saw the dead, small and great, standing before God, and books were opened. And another book was opened, which is the Book of Life. And the dead were judged according to their works by the things which were written in the books. The sea gave up the dead who were in it, and Death and Hades delivered up the dead who were in them. And they were judged, each one according to his works. Then Death and Hades were cast into the lake of fire. This is the second death. And anyone not found written in the Book of Life was cast into the lake of fire.” (Revelation 20:11-15, NKJV) Whew…!
Just a couple of things. Man must face judgment. Believers in Christ have accepted the judgment of sin at the Cross and have gone through the Judgment Seat where their works were judged. Now, who is left to judge? All the wicked. Satan, the Beast, the False Prophet are already in the Lake of Fire, now at the White Throne are those who have gone through the Millennial, both good and evil, and all the wicked who have ever been on earth. Hades and Death have delivered them to the White Throne. The Book of Life–God’s register of those who are saved is opened.
Imagine this scene if at all possible. The wicked Antediluvians will be there, those who opposed the rule of God, His law and the words of the prophets will be there, Judas and those involved in the crucifixion if they did not repent will be there, all the host of wicked and Christ-rejectors of all nations and ages will be there. (Larkin) Evil and wickedness and sin will flee away, man will bow and tremble as the Judge on the White Throne looks at the Book. All have sinned and fall short of God’ standard, yet there are those who have their names in the Book of Life because they through faith have accepted the grace of God through the sacrifice of His Son Jesus Christ.
Note that this second death does not mean annihilation. “Death never means to annihilate.” (Pope) Death, Hades, those last great enemies, along with those who rejected Christ and not accepted His grace and that He was the holy Son of God will be cast into the lake of fire. “The rejection of the eternal gospel results in eternal condemnation.” (NKJV Study Bible)
—————————————
My Pastor preached an intense sermon last Sunday, “The Saddest Word in the World.” That one word is — LOST! In that sermon he spoke of the five judgments that men face and the last one was the Great White Throne. There is, sadly, little preaching regarding that subject anymore. It is not something that people like or want to hear; one of those subjects that is put on the back burner if not on the shelf.
Let’s set the stage for this final judgment. We know that the Beast (Antichrist) and his armies will be defeated at the Battle of Armageddon. Revelation 19:20-21, states that the beast was captured and with him the false prophet. “These two were cast alive into the lake of fire burning with brimstone.” (19:20, NKJV). These are the first two to face that horrible eternal damnation. Verse 21 goes on to state that the rest were killed with the “sword which proceeded from the mouth of Him who sat on the horse…”. (NKJV) Starting with chapter 20, we see that Satan is bound in the bottomless pit for a thousand years. In verse 3, we read that “he should deceive the nations no more till the thousand years were finished. But after these things he must be released for a little while.” (NKJV)
Now, I cannot fully grasp all of this, but for some reason Satan must be released for a “little while,” or “short season.” Man has known a thousand years of peace during the Millennial Reign of Christ. The time is not perfect for man still has a sin nature, but there will be no tempter there. Sin will come from the hearts of man, and most scholars believe that Satan is released to once again to “lead the nations astray, and to assemble them for war… This will prove that man in his unregenerate state is a failure, for under these most favorable terms many will refuse to be subject to God altogether when Satan’s influence is released.” (William H. Pope)
Man must make a choice–God or evil. Satan is released from his prison, and due to man’s fallen nature some will be deceived and follow Satan in a last rebellion. How long is a “season” or a “little while” is open to wide speculation. When the foes of God who have allied themselves with Satan surround the “camp of the saints and the beloved city. And fire came down from God out of heaven and devoured them. The devil, who deceived them, was cast into the lake of fire and brimstone where the beast and the false prophet are. And they will be tormented day and night forever and ever.” (Revelation 20:9-10, NKJV) This rebellion, from the wording, seems to be somewhat successful for the armies have surrounded the camp of the saints and Jerusalem.
Then: “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. And I saw the dead, small and great, standing before God, and books were opened. And another book was opened, which is the Book of Life. And the dead were judged according to their works by the things which were written in the books. The sea gave up the dead who were in it, and Death and Hades delivered up the dead who were in them. And they were judged, each one according to his works. Then Death and Hades were cast into the lake of fire. This is the second death. And anyone not found written in the Book of Life was cast into the lake of fire.” (Revelation 20:11-15, NKJV) Whew…!
Just a couple of things. Man must face judgment. Believers in Christ have accepted the judgment of sin at the Cross and have gone through the Judgment Seat where their works were judged. Now, who is left to judge? All the wicked. Satan, the Beast, the False Prophet are already in the Lake of Fire, now at the White Throne are those who have gone through the Millennial, both good and evil, and all the wicked who have ever been on earth. Hades and Death have delivered them to the White Throne. The Book of Life–God’s register of those who are saved is opened.
Imagine this scene if at all possible. The wicked Antediluvians will be there, those who opposed the rule of God, His law and the words of the prophets will be there, Judas and those involved in the crucifixion if they did not repent will be there, all the host of wicked and Christ-rejectors of all nations and ages will be there. (Larkin) Evil and wickedness and sin will flee away, man will bow and tremble as the Judge on the White Throne looks at the Book. All have sinned and fall short of God’ standard, yet there are those who have their names in the Book of Life because they through faith have accepted the grace of God through the sacrifice of His Son Jesus Christ.
Note that this second death does not mean annihilation. “Death never means to annihilate.” (Pope) Death, Hades, those last great enemies, along with those who rejected Christ and not accepted His grace and that He was the holy Son of God will be cast into the lake of fire. “The rejection of the eternal gospel results in eternal condemnation.” (NKJV Study Bible)