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THE GREAT WHITE THRONE |
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There are many reasons that I am glad that I am saved and one of them is the subject that is before us. We read in Revelation 20:5-6 we read, “But the rest of the dead lived not again until the thousand years were finished. This is the first resurrection. Blessed and holy is he that hath part in the first resurrection: on such the second death hath no power, but they shall be priests of God and of Christ, and shall reign with Him a thousand years.
The scene before us is described as the “second death” in verse 14; “And death and hell were cast into the lake of fire. This is the second death.” For those that are saved, the second death has no power or claim. When you read Revelation 20:11-15 there is not one saved person present. I can’t help but rejoice when I read this passage that I will not be a part of this scene. The only people present are those that are lost.
There are many solemn and horrifying scenes in Revelation, but none as much as this one. John MacArthur in his commentary on Revelation describes the scene as so:
“This passage describes the final sentencing of the lost and is the most serious, sobering, and tragic passage in the entire Bible. Commonly known as the Great White Throne judgment, it is the last courtroom scene that will ever take place. After this there will never again be a trial, and God will never again need to act as judge. The accused, all the unsaved who have ever lived, will be resurrected to experience a trial like no other that has ever been. There will be no debate over their guilt or innocence. There will be a prosecutor, but no defender; an accuser, but no advocate. There will be an indictment, but no defense mounted by the accused; the convicting evidence will be presented with no rebuttal or cross-examination. There will be an utterly unsympathetic Judge and no jury, and there will be no appeal of the sentence He pronounces. The guilty will be punished eternally with no possibility of parole in a prison from which there is no escape.”
H.A. Ironside writes:
“What a sea of faces will appear before Him in that solemn hour of tremendous import! All the lost of all the ages; all who preferred their sins to His salvation; all who procrastinated until for them the door of mercy was closed; all who spurned His grace, and in self-will chose the way ‘that seemeth right unto a man,’ but was in truth ‘the way of death’—all such are summoned to stand before that inexorably righteous throne.”
Even though I am saved, I still shudder when I read these six verses. It is indeed a very solemn and sobering passage of scripture. Again, I share with you MacArthur’s comments:
“The language of this passage is plain, stark, and unembellished. Few details are given, and the description is utterly lacking in the vivid, eloquent modifiers that might be expected. But the scene is frightening enough in its own right that such language would be superfluous. The beloved apostle John, recording this vision in a cave or on a hillside on the island of Patmos, no doubt was shaken as he wrote of the eternal damnation of the wicked.”
Of all the things John saw, this had to have been the one that was most disturbing. Let’s look at these verses by first noticing that it is a:
1. SCENE OF EXALTATION
In verse 11 John says, “And I saw a great white throne, and Him that sat on it.” Nearly 50 times in Revelation there is mention of a throne. John once again sees a throne and quickly notices that the throne is occupied. Who John sees on the throne is the Lord Jesus is all His glory and majesty. He sees Him exalted as the Lord and Judge of the universe.
The description of the throne portrays the nature of the One who sits on the throne. First, we see that it is:
A) A Throne of Authority
It is called a “great” throne. It is called great, not because of its size, but for its significance and authority. Sitting on this throne is the Lord Jesus who has all authority. He is King of kings and Lord of lords and possesses absolute authority.
We read in John 5:22, “For the Father judgeth no man, but hath committed all judgment unto the Son.” Even in judgment, He has all authority.
Furthermore, we see that it is:
B) A Throne of Purity
It is not only a “great” throne, but also a “white” throne. White speaks of the purity and holiness of the One sitting upon the throne. In Revelation 4:8 we saw the four beasts around the throne crying, “Holy, holy, holy, Lord God Almighty, which was, and is, and is to come.”
As a “great white throne” one understands that what is to follow is based on the authority of the Lord Jesus to sit in judgment upon all men. He and He alone has such authority. As the thrice holy God we have the basis of His judgment. As a holy God He cannot and will not condone or ignore sin.
Secondly, we see that is not only a scene of exaltation, but also a:
2. SCENE OF TERMINATION
In verse 11 John sees how “from whose face the earth and the heaven fled away; and there was found no place for them.” As if too holy to view, the earth and the heaven run in fear from the face of the One sitting on the throne. In that moment earth and heaven as time has known it vanishes.
What we see is a:
A) Sudden Termination of the Earth & Heaven
The phrase “and there was found no place for them” simply means there was no longer any place for the earth and heaven to exist. Suddenly the earth and heaven are terminated. They both, as you might say, are uncreated and totally vanish.
Before Genesis 1:1 there was absolutely nothing. There was no earth and heaven. There was even a place for them to exist. There was no space or matter. There wasn’t anything. I like the way the black preacher, S.M. Lockeridge put it:
“God stepped from the curtain of nowhere onto the platform of nothing and spoke a world into existence. The reason God came from nowhere is because there wasn’t anywhere for him to come. And coming from nowhere He stood on nothing, and the reason He stood on nothing was because there was nowhere for Him to stand.”
Once again there exists that same nothing. No earth or heaven because there is nowhere for them to exist. There is a sudden termination of the earth and heaven.
We read in Psalm 102:25-26, “Of old hast thou laid the foundation of the earth: and the heavens are the work of thy hands. They shall perish, but thou shalt endure: yea, all of them shall wax old like a garment; as a vesture shalt thou change them, and they shall be changed” This world as we know it will one day perish.
We read in Isaiah 51:6, “Lift up your eyes to the heavens, and look upon the earth beneath: for the heavens shall vanish away like smoke, and the earth shall wax old like a garment, and they that dwell therein shall die in like manner: but my salvation shall be for ever, and my righteousness shall not be abolished.”
Both the Psalmist and Prophet spoke of the earth and heaven ceasing to exist. As the moment of the great white throne arrives, that moment will arrive for the earth and heaven.
As you look elsewhere in the Bible you see that is:
B) A Severe Termination of the Earth & Heaven
We read in 2 Peter 3:10, “But the day of the Lord will come as a thief in the night; in the which the heavens shall pass away with a great noise, and the elements shall melt with fervent heat, the earth also and the works that are therein shall be burned up.”
Peter describes how the heavens “shall pass away with a great noise.” The word “noise” is an onomatopoetic word; that is, a word that sounds like what it means. It describes the loud whistling, crackling, rushing sound that will result when "the elements will be destroyed with intense heat, and the earth and its works will be burned up.
Then Peter speaks of how the “elements shall melt with fervent heat.” The word, “melt” could be translated "dissolved." Peter paints a picture of how the present universe will explode like a gigantic nuclear bomb, and the resulting "intense heat" will literally dissolve all the matter in it. As a result, the universe "will be burned up"; it will be totally consumed.
After centuries of time, there is a termination of the earth and heaven.
Also notice that is:
3. A SCENE OF EXAMINATION
In verse 12 John writes, “And I saw the dead, small and great, stand before God.” In verse 13 we read, “And the sea gave up the dead which were in it; and death and hell delivered up the dead which were in them.”
People from every walk of life and from all of history are brought before God. Hell empties itself and brings every lost person to stand before God.
John Phillips describes the scene as so:
There is a terrible fellowship there. . . . The dead, small and great, stand before God. Dead souls are united to dead bodies in a fellowship of horror and despair. Little men and paltry women whose lives were filled with pettiness, selfishness, and nasty little sins will be there. Those whose lives amounted to nothing will be there, whose very sins were drab and dowdy, mean, spiteful, peevish, groveling, vulgar, common, and cheap. The great will be there, men who sinned with a high hand, with dash, and courage and flair. Men like Alexander and Napoleon, Hitler and Stalin will be present, men who went in for wickedness on a grand scale with the world for their stage and who died unrepentant at last. Now one and all are arraigned and on their way to be damned: a horrible fellowship congregated together for the first and last time.”
The purpose of these congregating of all lost people is made clear in verse 13: “and they were judged every man according to his works.” It is the hour of judgment. It is the moment when every lost person stands face to face with a holy God and gives an account to Him.
As you look at this judgment you see that it is centered around a set of books. Notice these books. First, there is what I want to call:
A) God’s Record Book
We read in verse 12, “and the books were opened…and the dead were judged out of those things which were written in them.” God is keeping a record of the deeds of every sinner. These books contain the record of every thought, word and deed of every lost person.
Now you imagine such a thing. Every evil thought, word and deed God records and at the great white throne he will judge men according to that record.
We read in Luke 8:17, “For nothing is secret, that shall not be made manifest’ neither anything hid, that shall not be known and come abroad.” God knows all things and records all things and at the great white throne all will be made known.
We read in Ecclesiastes 12:14, “For God shall bring every work into judgment, with every secret thing, whether it be good, or whether it be evil.” On that day every sin will be exposed and men will be judged according to their sins.
It is all in God’s books!
There is also:
B) God’s Register Book
We read in verse 13, “and another book was opened, which is the book of life.” This is a book similar to the registry books of ancient cities in which were the names of all its citizens. In this case, it is God’s registry book in which are all the names of those who are citizens of heaven.
God will not only open the books in which are recorded the sins of the lost, but He will also open the Book of Life in which it will reveal the absence of their name.
Thank God my name is there!
Lastly, we see:
4. A SCENE OF CONDEMNATION
After the books and the book are opened, God will pass sentence upon each lost person. There will be God’s final condemnation of the lost.
A) A Factual Condemnation
There is nothing unfair or unjust about God's judgment that is passed upon the lost. His judgment is based on facts. It will be based on every sin that each individual has committed.
It is also a:
B) Fateful Condemnation
We read in verse 15, “And whosoever was not found written in the book of life was cast into the lake of fire.” Each soul in whose name is not found in the Book of Life will be cast into the lake of fire. The lake of fire is the eternal destiny of those that die without the Lord Jesus. The lake of fire is an eternal home for every lost person. There will be no escape. It is the dwelling of the lost for all eternity.
Now you see why I said in the beginning, this is a scene that make me glad I am saved. At the same time, such a scene breaks my heart for those that are lost. © 2006 by the Living Word |
