The Great White Throne Judgment: Star N

The Great White Throne Judgment: Star “N”
Revelation 20:11-15.
A. The Final Judgment: All The Lost.
This is the judgment of all the lost that have ever lived on this Earth. All the lost went to their temporary abode, identified as “Hades” in the Greek, and translated “Hell” in the English. The Lord gave a literal account of Hades. It had two compartments, separated by a great gulf. One was for the saved and the other for the lost. It was located in the center of the Earth.
When Christ went back to Heaven after His Ascension, He emptied paradise, and they are now in Heaven. (Ephesians 4:8-9). The account of the lost is given in Luke 16:19-31. In Luke 16:23-24, this lost man will describe what it is like being in “Hades,” or Hell.
“And in hell he lift up his eyes, being in torments, and seeth Abraham afar off, and Lazarus in his bosom. (Luke 16:23)
And he cried and said, Father Abraham, have mercy on me, and send Lazarus, that he may dip the tip of his finger in water, and cool my tongue; for I am tormented in this flame. (Luke 16:24)
B. The Final Sentence.
All those in “Hades” will be there until they are brought up to the Great White Throne Judgment. This final judgment is described in Revelation 20:11-15.
"And I saw a great white throne, and him that sat on it, from whose face the earth and the heaven fled away; and there was found no place for them. (Revelation 20:11)
And I saw the dead, small and great, stand before God; and the books were opened: and another book was opened, which is the book of life: and the dead were judged out of those things which were written in the books, according to their works. (Revelation 20:12)
And the sea gave up the dead which were in it; and death and hell delivered up the dead which were in them: and they were judged every man according to their works. (Revelation 20:13)
And death and hell were cast into the lake of fire. This is the second death. (Revelation 20:14)
And whosoever was not found written in the book of life was cast into the lake of fire." (Revelation 20:11-15)
1. Revelation 20:11.
Here we see Christ on the throne judging the ungodly sinners. Christ came the first time to go to the Cross as the Sinless Lamb of God, with grace and mercy offered to everyone. Here are a few verses that describe those who mocked Him and thought themselves to be little gods, themselves.
“For there are certain men crept in unawares, who were before of old ordained to this condemnation, ungodly men, turning the grace of our God into lasciviousness, and denying the only Lord God, and our Lord Jesus Christ.” (Jude 1:4)
“Likewise also these filthy dreamers defile the flesh, despise dominion, and speak evil of dignities.” (Jude 1:8)
“But these speak evil of those things which they know not: but what they know naturally, as brute beasts, in those things they corrupt themselves.” (Jude 1:10)
“And Enoch also, the seventh from Adam, prophesied of these, saying, Behold, the Lord cometh with ten thousands of his saints, (Jude 1:14)
To execute judgment upon all, and to convince all that are ungodly among them of all their ungodly deeds which they have ungodly committed, and of all their hard speeches which ungodly sinners have spoken against him.” (Jude 1:14-15)
“Knowing this first, that there shall come in the last days scoffers, walking after their own lusts, (2 Peter 3:3)
And saying, Where is the promise of his coming? for since the fathers fell asleep, all things continue as they were from the beginning of the creation. (2 Peter 3:4)
For this they willingly are ignorant of, that by the word of God the heavens were of old, and the earth standing out of the water and in the water:” (2 Peter 3:3-5)
Here they stand before Christ, “The Lion of the Tribe of Judah” (Revelation 5:5); the “King of Kings and LORD of LORDS.” (Revelation 19:16). All of these fulfill Proverbs 14:12.
“There is a way which seemeth right unto a man, but the end thereof are the ways of death.”
Concerning the last phrase of Verse 11, “the earth and the heaven fled away.” This was Satan’s domain, as he was “the prince of the power of the air AND the spirit that now worketh in the children of disobedience.” (Ephesians 4:2). Satan has had a field day for over 6,000 years deceiving people into Hell.
“In whom the god of this world hath blinded the minds of them which believe not, lest the light of the glorious gospel of Christ, who is the image of God, should shine unto them.” (2 Corinthians 4:4)
This old Earth and the atmosphere above it will be cleansed by fire, and renovated as created new.
“For, behold, I create new heavens and a new earth: and the former shall not be remembered, nor come into mind.” (Isaiah 65:17)
a. The Lost. Something to keep in mind: ALL the lost that ever lived on this Earth are now in “Hades,” or the Lake of Fire.
The lost have been suffering in the flames of Torment all these thousands of years. Now they are hauled up to stand before the Great White Throne. Perhaps rumors of false hope, perpetrated by Satan’s lies, flash through the multitude standing there awaiting their final judgment. “Are we getting a second chance?” “Maybe there is a Purgatory after all.” Soon they realize, they should have accepted Christ while they were living. Now, it is forever too late, as they realize, there is no Purgatory!
b. The Saved. All of the saved have their resurrected bodies and possess no old sinful nature. The 144,000 witnesses, along with all the saved that were born during the Millennium, along with the others that entered from the Tribulation Period, will still be in their physical bodies. They will, at this time, be given a new, resurrected body, without the old sin nature, to enjoy the New Heavens and New Earth. The reason is described in 1 Corinthians 15:50.
“Now this I say, brethren, that flesh and blood cannot inherit the kingdom of God; neither doth corruption inherit incorruption.” (1 Corinthians 15:50)
2. Revelation 20:12.
“The dead, small and great, stood before God.” Your achievements on Earth, whether president of a nation, senator, congressman, state governor, mayor, president of a bank or company, etc., were for your benefit only. You are here at this judgment because you rejected Jesus Christ as your Savior.
a. The Books. (Plural) These books have everything you have ever thought; or done with your life while on Earth. God knows everything about every person.
“...and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart.” (Hebrews 4:12 b)
“Neither is there any creature that is not manifest in his sight: but all things are naked and opened unto the eyes of him with whom we have to do.” (Hebrews 4:13)
“...for I know the things that come into your mind, every one of them.” (Ezekiel 11:5 b)
b. They “were judged out of those things which were written in the books according to their works.” These books are not recorded for God’s memory; but for yours, to resurrect things you have forgotten. The time and date of every act and thought, including every time a Christian loved you enough to witness to you about Christ; but, you continually rejected their witness. This judgment is to determine what degree of punishment you suffer in the Lake of Fire and Brimstone for all eternity.
c. The Book of Life. The Book of Life has the name of every person ever born in it, from the time of conception. It does not deal with your works; but, only the opportunities you had to be saved. You had rejected them until you died. At that moment, your name was blotted out of the Lamb’s Book of Life, and that is the reason you are here at the Great White Throne Judgment.
“Add iniquity unto their iniquity: and let them not come into thy righteousness. (Psalms 69:27)
Let them be blotted out of the book of the living, and not be written with the righteous.” (Psalms 69:27-28)
The saved will never have their names removed.
“He that overcometh, the same shall be clothed in white raiment; and I will not blot out his name out of the book of life, but I will confess his name before my Father, and before his angels.” (Revelation 3:5)
Satan has instilled into the minds of many people that, if their good works outweigh their sins, they will be saved. “Overcome” makes Satan and his ministers liars in 1 John 5:4-5.
“For whatsoever is born of God overcometh the world: and this is the victory that overcometh the world, even our faith. (1 John 5:4)
Who is he that overcometh the world, but he that believeth that Jesus is the Son of God?” (1 John 5:5)
3. Revelation 20:13.
There is a resurrection of the bodies of the lost, as well as the saved.
“And have hope toward God, which they themselves also allow, that there shall be a resurrection of the dead, both of the just (saved) and unjust (unsaved).” (Acts 24:15)
a. “...The sea gave up the dead...” This is in reference to their bodies, not their true being; i.e., the soul and spirit.
“For as the body without the spirit is dead,...” (James 2:26 a)
Remember, all of these are the unbelievers, the lost that had gone to “Hades” (Hell), and were very much alive in their spiritual bodies. “The sea” lets us know that is where their bodies are, whether cremated; embalmed, killed in war and never found, etc. They will have a resurrected body at this judgment which will never burn up and die from the flames of Hell. Therefore, they will suffer their torment for all eternity.
I recall when I was on the Police Department, I was called to investigate a young boy who was burned over three-fourths of his body and did not have long to live. At the hospital, I went in to see the boy and the nurse advised me that he will let out a scream of pain now and then. His screams sent chills down my spine! He died shortly thereafter, and there was no more pain or screams. This is unlike those in Hell, as the pain will never stop and the resurrected body will never die.
b. “...Death and Hell (“Hades”) delivered up the dead...”
Death. This is physical and spiritual death. They had to die physically in order to go to “Hades;” because they were spiritually dead by rejecting Christ as their Savior. “Hades” is the temporary abode of all the lost from Creation to the Millennium; until they are brought up to the Great White Throne Judgment. Here, their works are judged for degrees of punishment.
4. Revelation 20:14.
“And death and hell were cast into the lake of fire. This is the second death.” (Revelation 20:14)
This death is two-in-one, by the same person. This person died physically and spiritually without Christ. Hebrews 9:27 tells us that a person only dies once; and, then the judgment as to where they go; Heaven, or Hell (“Hades”).
“And as it is appointed unto men once to die, but after this the judgment:”
Therefore, you can only die once as a lost person. Now, since Hell (“Hades”) the temporary abode of the lost is cast into the Lake of Fire, it has now become non-existent.
A person cannot die twice, spiritually; therefore, one cannot ever redeem themselves out of the Lake of Fire and Brimstone for a second chance, as some people and preachers claim.
5. Revelation 20:15.
Their names were in the Book of Life until they died without accepting Christ as their Savior. Their names are not re-registered a second time for a second chance. At death their destiny is sealed, forever!
“Then shall he say also unto them on the left hand, Depart from me, ye cursed, into everlasting fire, prepared for the devil and his angels:” (Matthew 25:41)
This is the end of Satan’s children (unbelievers) ever associating with God’s children again. This is a welcome sight to every Christian as their desire is realized. All Christians will be praising the Lord’s judgment; as, their resurrected body does not contain the old nature with its faulty thinking!
“Let the sinners be consumed out of the earth, and let the wicked be no more. Bless thou the Lord, O my soul. Praise ye the Lord.” (Psalms 104:35)
We are now ready to move on to the New Heavens and the New Earth.