Aeron Morgan delivers a powerful sermon on the final judgment as depicted in Revelation 20, emphasizing the great white throne where all the dead will be judged according to their works. He highlights the significance of the Lamb of God, who will be the judge, and the importance of having one's name written in the book of life to avoid eternal condemnation. Morgan warns that even during Christ's reign, sin will persist, and the final judgment will reveal the true nature of humanity. He urges listeners to live righteously and to share the gospel to save others from the impending judgment. The sermon concludes with a call to ensure one's salvation and to actively reach out to the lost.

A final assize, and a final abode. So, we turn to Revelation chapter 20, and I want to read from verse 11. John is speaking, or writing, he said, 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. 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. 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. And death and hell were cast into the lake of fire. This is the second death. And whosoever was not found written in the book of life, was cast into the lake of fire. This last book of the Bible, is all about Christ. And I want you to note that it is of Christ, especially in the character of the Lamb. The marvelous truth of an all-adorning and victorious, redemptive work, is revealed to us right from the earliest verses of the book. In chapter 1 and verse 5, and also in the same chapter, verse 18, reference to the one who died, and of course, who rose again. And so, the vision of the Lamb is uppermost throughout the book. In fact, the Lamb is referred to 27 times in this book, and it is found in 11 of the chapters. In chapters 1 to 3, we have the Lamb and the church on earth. In chapters 4 and 5, it's the Lamb and the throne in heaven. And then that long expanse from chapter 6 right through to chapter 18, where you have no mention of the church, you have the Lamb and the world at enmity. In chapter 19, you have the Lamb and the church as His bride. And in chapter 20, where we are this morning, and as we were last week, it's the Lamb and the final conflicts. Thank God it's not the end of the picture, for in chapters 21 and 22, we have the Lamb and the eternal ages. Wonderful revelation concerning the Lamb of God, the one whom John saw, that is, the Baptist, who saw Him on the banks of Jordan and declared, Behold the Lamb of God which taketh away the sins of the world. Well, here in chapter 20, we've already seen how Satan is ultimately dealt with. First by an angel, in verses 1 and 2, and then directly by God, in verses 9 and 10. And that is an amazing unveiling to us. And what would have surprised us, as we mentioned last week, is how that after 1,000 years of Christ's visible, glorious reign upon earth, in peace and in righteousness, there is that final rebellion, when Satan is loosed for a season. Notice that there in verses 7 and 8. Now you recall, we mentioned that there would be, at that time, an attack upon God's people, and upon the city of God. But that is what seals His doom forever, as well as those nations that follow Him. Because He is taken and He is cast into the lake of fire and brimstone, where the antichrists and the false prophets have already been placed. I said that it surprises us, and yet it ought not to, because we noted that the heart of man is deceitful above all things, and desperately wicked. If you will turn to Isaiah chapter 65, please. Isaiah chapter 65. I want to read from verse 17, down to verse 20. This little passage which has reference to the millennium, and without question corresponds to chapter 20 of Revelation. Isaiah says, and God is speaking of course through him, For behold, I create new heavens and a new earth. Now that obviously identifies the time of the prophecy, when it will be fulfilled. There in Revelation chapter 20. For I create a new heavens and a new earth, and the former shall not be remembered, nor come into mind. But be ye glad and rejoice forever in that which I create. For behold, I create Jerusalem a rejoicing, and her people a joy. And I will rejoice in Jerusalem, and joy in my people, and the voice of weeping shall be no more heard in her, nor the voice of crying. But we know that that's not at the moment. There's a lot happening out there, and yet to happen, where there will be even greater mourning, and tears, and sorrow, and wailing, there in Jerusalem. But verse 20 says, There shall be no more thence an infant of days, nor an old man that hath not filled his days. For the child shall die an hundred years old, but the sinner being an hundred years old shall be accursed. I want you to notice it's referring to the people there in that millennium, that there are still sinners on the earth. Sinners, of whom it says, they will be accursed at that time. Let's just note two things here. From that very statement, the sinner shall be accursed. First of all, whilst Christ rules and reigns upon earth, and we know it's a kingdom that will be characterized by righteousness, and truth, by wisdom, and justice, even Christ's perfect government does not make for a perfect people. Let me say that again. Even Christ's perfect government does not make for a perfect people. There will still be multitudes of sinners on the earth, and when Satan is loosed, then their true nature will be publicly manifest, in their opposition to God and his people, and his purposes. Oh yes, we know that every knee shall bow. Everyone is going to do homage to Jesus as sovereign king. But not everyone will be yielding their hearts to him, in acknowledgement of his true person and work. Mark that. Christ's government, certainly it secures at last a utopian condition in this world. But it is only a deep inward spiritual work of the Holy Spirit, that can secure salvation of the soul, when people willingly yield to what he desires to do in them. Do you know what that tells me this morning as a very important and relevant application? That ministry is effective only when it is received and believed and obeyed. Listen to these words of Hebrews 4 and verses 1 and 2. Let us therefore fear lest a promise being left us of entering into his rest. Any of you should seem to come short of it. For unto us was the gospel preached as well as unto them. But the word preached did not profit them, not being mixed with faith in them that heard him. Turn to the gospel of Mark with me please. And chapter 4 and verses 24 and 25. And in the context, you'll notice from verse 14 I think, or perhaps earlier in that chapter, Mark chapter 4, it's speaking of the sower who went forth to sow. There was nothing wrong with the sowing. There was nothing wrong with the seed. But the results rested with the condition of the soil. And listen to what Jesus said, Take heed what you hear. With what measure you meet it shall be measured to you, and unto you that hear shall more be given. Not just listening, but those who will receive it and do it. More will be given to you. Additional understanding of the truth that God wants us to know. For he that hath, to him shall be given, listen now, and he that hath not. Those who have, yes they've listened, but they've not received it, they've not believed it, they've not obeyed it. He that hath not, from him shall be taken away even that which he hath. I pray God to help us this morning friends, to have such an appetite for the word of God, but not only so, but a passion to do the will of God as it reveals it to us. In the millennium multitudes will see and hear Jesus. They will be forced to admit the perfection of his kingly rule, and yet they will still rebear, and they will suffer for it. Sinners. Sinners. And the second thing of course, sinners it says there in Isaiah 65 shall be accursed, of those rebellious multitudes of peoples, who wantonly follow Satan in opposition to a holy God. The sinner shall be accursed. Those who have failed to find and to tread the path of righteousness, and have shown contempt for Christ in their hearts, contempt for God, they will be brought into contempt by God. Remember what Paul said in Galatians 6 and verse 7, Be not deceived, God is not mocked, for whatsoever a man sows, that shall he also reap. And this is what Revelation 20 goes on to reveal, that final assize, that great tribunal before the eternal judge, that great assize and the final abort of unrepentant sinners. This is hardly a palatable subject. Mary Baker Eddy of Christian Scientism, she said no final judgment awaits mortals. Well of course she doesn't believe the Bible. A man once confessed to that renowned Thomas Carlyle, that he had a dread of that final divine tribunal. He said, I fear the day of judgment. Carlyle replied to him, do you? What I should fear a thousand times more, would be a day of no judgment. There is going to be friends, a great judgment day, it must be. What does the Bible say about it? Well first of all, will you turn to Isaiah chapter 28. The chapters 28 to 33 in this prophecy of Isaiah, is sometimes referred to as the book of wars. A lot of wars are pronounced. But here in verse 21 of chapter 28, it speaks of God's judgment. It says His judgment is His strange work. It is His strange act. In context it means that there would be a judgment, and mark this, not just of pagan nations round about, but as the chapter commences, a judgment of the proud crown of the drunkards of Ephraim. The prophets and the priests overcome with wine, and even drunk in the course of their religious duties. And of course this was in gross violation of God's law. And you read of that back in the book of Leviticus chapter 10 and verse 9. Judgment is His strange work because, in its context it seems out of character with the one who acts toward His covenant people, as He once did towards His enemies. What it teaches us is this, that wherever sin is found, God must of necessity judge it. There are some scriptures that perhaps we can turn to, a few of them. If you can follow me quickly in this. Ecclesiastes chapter 12, verse 14. Maybe I ought to read verse 13 as well. Let us hear the conclusion of the whole matter. Fear God and keep His commandments, for this is the whole duty of man. For God shall bring every work into judgment with every secret thing, whether it be good or whether it be evil. Turn to Daniel's prophecy in chapter 7, and verses 9 and 10. I beheld till the thrones were cast down, and the ancient of days did sit. Let me pause there, we've been singing about this morning. It was our opening song today, in worship of the Lord. We sang with such fervor, we sang it with great joy and triumph. But listen to what this scripture says. I beheld till the thrones were cast down, and the ancient of days did sit, whose garment was white as snow, and the hair of His head like the pure wool. His throne was like the fiery flame, and His wheels as burning fire. A fiery stream issued and came forth from before Him. Thousands, thousands ministered unto Him, and 10,000 times 10,000 stood before Him. The judgment was set, and the books were opened. So when you sing that song the next time, certainly extol the greatness of the eternal judge. But remember, it's pointing to a day when He will sit in awesome judgment upon all men. Acts chapter 10 and verse 42 please. Peter is speaking there in the house of Cornelius. He says concerning Christ, He commanded us to preach unto the people, and to testify that it is He which was ordained of God to be the judge of quick and dead. That is, of the living and the dead. We could go on, 2 Timothy 4.1, Hebrews 9.27. It's appointed to amend once today, and after this the judgment. 2 Peter 2.9. And of course the passage we are taking this morning in Revelation chapter 20 verse 11, 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. The great white throne judgment. In considering this judgment, of course it's proper to be clear about the various judgments in the end times. There's the judgment seat of Christ in heaven, at the rapture, or immediately after the rapture. The judgment seat of Christ, that's where all believers will appear before the Lord. Not under condemnation. Thank God, friends, there is therefore now no condemnation to those who are in Christ. But it will be a day of rewards. There's also going to be the judgment of repatriated Israel when Christ comes. There's going to be the judgment of the nations at Jerusalem for their treatment of the Jews, especially during the tribulation. That will be at the close of the tribulation. There's going to be the judgment of fallen angels. There is this one that we are talking about this morning, the great white throne judgment. This is at the end of the millennium. Believers don't appear at this throne. This is where all the wicked are brought to stand before God as we are going on to see. So three things come within the scope of our message this morning on the great white throne. First, there is the occasion of this judgment. It's clear. The time is clear. It is convened at the end of the millennium. John sees poised in the air this great white throne. This throne of God and of the Lamb. Jesus himself testified in John 5, 27 that there had been given to him the authority to judge all men. And Paul in Acts 17, 31 speaking to those idolaters in Athens, he said, God has appointed a day when he will judge all men by that man whom he has ordained. Even Jesus, whom he raised from the dead. Here, friends, is this throne on which this judge sits and before whom appears every individual unregenerate from all of time's history. It is great because of the extensive numbers of people summoned to appear there. And the fearful eternal destiny of millions will be decided there. It's a great throne. It's a great white throne. Being described as white, it gives indication of the impeccable character of the judge and is absolutely just judgment. The judge is not described. It just says that John saw the great white throne and him that sat upon it. But the sight of him is awesome. Notice it says, From whose face the earth and the heaven fled away and there was found no place for them. Oh, the fading character of everything in relation to this world. That's why John says, The world passeth away and the lust thereof. He that doeth the will of God abides forever. The second epistle of Peter. Chapter 3. Let me read to you a few verses. Verse 3 will commence that. 2 Peter 3. Verse 3. Peter says, Knowing this first that there shall come in the last days scoffers walking after own lusts 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. 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 whereby the world that then was being overflowed with water perished. Notice how Peter draws attention to the fact of the flood and the fact that that was the fulfillment of a word that God gave. God always fulfills his word. But the heavens, verse 7, But the heavens and the earth which are now by the same word are kept in store, reserved unto fire against the day of judgment and perdition of ungodly men. Verse 10. But the day of the Lord will come as a thief in the night in 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. Seeing then that all these things shall be dissolved, what manner of persons ought ye to be in all holy conversation and godliness? Looking for and hasting unto the coming of the day of God wherein the heavens being on fire shall be dissolved and the elements shall melt with fervent heat. From the face of him who was upon this great white throne says the heavens fled away and there was found no place for them. John's eyes then behold the great company who are summoned to that judgment. Says in verse 12, I saw the dead, small and great, stand before God. Matthew Henry said, None are so great as to avoid the jurisdiction of this court. Small and great, they will all stand before that eternal judge. Every unrepentant sinner will be there. Notice in verse 13, 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. The seas in this world will be emptied of every body that has perished in it, that were not buried by loved ones. My cousin went down with HMS Collingwood in the English Channel during the Second World War. He worked in the engine room. They said there was a direct hit upon the engine room. He went down into those waters. A day will come, friends, when he will be raised from that sea. And countless numbers of others too who have known the same kind of fate. And it says, and death, that is the grave, and hell. Speaking now of persons in that intermediate state. Because when a person dies, their body goes to the grave. But if they are an unbeliever, then there is this place of disembodied spirits, that is referred to as Hades, a place of torment. Not the final abode, because death and hell will be cast into the lake of fire. There is coming a day when even for the wicked, the wicked will be brought back from Hades, and reunited with their body, miraculously raised from the graves, and from the sea, and united as whole beings to stand before the Eternal Judge. And will be judged according, it says, to their works. There is going to be a great resurrection of the wicked to stand before God. Small and great, earthly distinctions will be dispensed with in that day. And there will be no cover up, there will be no possibility of corrupt avoidance of justice. Today there is a lot of corruption, there is a lot of bribery. Day after day we are hearing about the need for setting up commissions, what for? Because of the covering up of pedophile judges, and police officers, and all the rest of it. There will be no cover up in that day. No cover up. Not one person will be able to evade those eyes, which are as a flame of fire. And they will know Him, and they will fear before Him. Men who have ignored, and cursed, and despised, and denied the Saviour, they will discover that He is now their Judge. The story is told of a young boy who was on the point of drowning in a deep river. When a young man who was coming along, walking alongside, saw his distress and fully clothed, he dived into the waters and brought him to safety. The little boy looked up into his rescuer's eyes, and expressed how grateful he was that he had saved him. Time passed, and they never met. The rescuer, apparently he pursued a legal career, and he was ultimately called to the bar. That young lad, who was rescued from drowning, he mixed up with bad company, became a hardened and dangerous criminal. And I guess inevitably, the day came when he stood before the court on a capital charge. He was charged with murder. He stood there in the dark awaiting, with others who were standing too, for the judge to make the entry, and to come into the court to try the case. As the judge walked in, that austere and periwigged figure, he seemed rather familiar to the man in the dark, and that fellow just froze, because he recognized that the judge was the one who had saved him many years before. And he thought he would perhaps touch a tender cord in the heart of that austere judge, by mentioning to him, I'm the one that you saved from drowning some years ago. But the judge remained stern and unmoved, and addressing the accused, he simply said, Then I was your savior, now I am your judge. And that is what it will be, friends, at the great white throne. The lamb who died upon that cross to take away the sins of the world, the savior, will be the judge, and everything that men have ever trusted in, in time, will then be gone. The party is over. The fun has ceased. All laughter evaporated into chilling foreboding of the end of man's scoffing godlessness. Grimacing faces portray emptiness and hopelessness and dread and despair. I tell you, friends, that judgment day will come. The occasion of the judgment is without question. But notice now the opening of the record books. In verse 12 it says, 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 are written in the books according to their works. Now it does not specify for us these books, excepting the one, the book of life, but I guess the scriptures help us. Here are God's records of each human life that ever existed on earth. Preserved with meticulous care, and perfectly accurate in respect of all their words, all their deeds, all their thoughts, even their motives. Do you realize this morning every word you uttered is being recorded? Every kind word, every encouraging word, every helpful word, every critical word, every gossip word, every blasphemous word, every word, nothing is hidden from the Almighty. In God's sight nothing will ever be or can ever be overlooked. Nothing is forgotten. Every open act of sin and rebellion has been written down. The infamous Adolf Hitler may have committed suicide, and thus escaped a war criminal's trial, but he is yet to face up to every detail of his sins at heaven's own Nuremberg. And so it will be, friends, not just for him, but for Nero and a myriad other of men in human history who have blood on their hands. The great shall stand before him. Every open act of sin, they'll there be revealed as those books are opened. But also, friends, all secret sins, like David's adultery with Bathsheba. Thank God that's been dealt with. But by way of illustration, it was a secret sin. There was a wonderful cover-up, so he thought. There are those sins which men think will never be discovered. But they shall be revealed in that day because God has a record. All open acts of sin, all secret sins. Turn in your Bibles, please, to Proverbs. Proverbs 28 and verse 13. He that covereth his sin shall not prosper, but whoso confesseth and forsaketh them shall have mercy. Turn to Romans chapter 2 and verse 16. Speaks of the day when God shall judge the secrets of men by Jesus Christ according to my gospel. Other scriptures we could turn to also. All sins of the heart. Pride, envy, jealousy, bitternesses, conniving, whatever it might be. A day is coming when all that will be revealed. You know, none of them is ever lost unless the blood of Jesus has been applied. Oh, thank you, Pastor Ian, for sharing with us this morning the wonder of Christ's work at Calvary. My sins are under the blood. They will never be remembered against me anymore. They've been scrubbed out from the records. The blood has washed me white as snow. Hallelujah. But the day is coming when those that have not repented of sins, where those sins have not been dealt with, men will face them on judgment day. The facts will all be there, open, undeniable, irrefutable. And men judged not only for what they have done, but for what they are. Rebellious and unrepentant sinners. When the indictments are read out, there'll be no lapse of memory. You go to a human court of law and you see those barristers and the prosecutor, he stands there and says to, maybe to witnesses or to the accused himself, Can you remember? And he says, No, I can't remember. Sometimes they do, but they lie. But you can't lie on this day. You can't cover up anything on this day. Because friends, memory will be alive. Alive. Everything will be recalled perfectly. So there's no perjury at this judgment. Indeed, every plea will be guilty, my Lord. Guilty. Yes, the books will be opened. Books of human deeds. Books of human conscience. Things etched in our consciences. They will come alive in that day. Books of permanently etched memories. And of course the book, God's Word. If you'll turn please to John chapter 12 and verse 48. John chapter 12, verse 48. Oh, I will read from verse 44, 46 rather. Verse 46. I am come a light into the world, said Jesus, that whosoever believeth on me should not abide in darkness. And if any man hear my words and believe not, I judge him not. For I came not to judge the world, but to save the world. He that rejecteth me and receiveth not my words, hath one that judgeth him. The word that I have spoken, the same shall judge him in the last day. The books will be opened. It says, there is another book, the book of life. And if the others are descriptive, this will be decisive. Other books reveal uncomely details of people's lives. This book, the book of life, it reveals their ultimate doom. If their name is not in the book of life, they are cast into the lake of fire. Isn't that solemn? What kind of a record is your life making today? What is God having to write this morning? What will he be writing after church? What will he be writing tomorrow when you are at work? Your words, your conversation, your attitudes. He is writing all the time. There is the occasion of the judgment, there is the opening of the record books. It's very solemn, friends. Don't think that grace means that we can live anyhow. That because we are saved, we won't be at the great white throne judgment. It doesn't really matter. It does matter. Because there are many other scriptures we could talk to. If we were expounding on the judgment seat of Christ, the behemoth seat. If we were expounding on that this morning. There are awesome words of the things that we will be having to answer for in that day. But let me come to a conclusion. There is the outcome of this final assize. What is the doom? Here it is in verses 14 and 15. And death and hell were cast into the lake of fire. This is the second death. And whosoever was not found written in the book of life was cast into the lake of fire. Myriads of souls cast alive into that lake of fire and brimstone. Forever and forever. There will be no exit, friends, from that final abode. That is the Bible's emphatic teaching. I know there are many kinds of philosophies or ideas that are represented in various religious philosophies about the ultimate end of man. But the Bible says there are only two ways to go. An epitaph on a gravestone once read. Remember, friend, as you passed by. As you are now, so once was I. As I am now, thus you must be. So be prepared to follow me. But found beneath those inscribed words on the grave marker were the following two lines. Apparently added by some concerned reader. To follow you, I'm not content. Until I know which way you went. Friends, it's not nirvana. As some of the religions in the New Age have it. Being absorbed into the universe by some kind of life-giving principle. It's not purgatory. Roman Catholicism's false teaching on a period of purifying sufferings. It's not oblivion. That upon death a person ceases to be. And his or her body just rots into nothingness. It's not annihilation. As taught by the Jehovah's Witnesses and the Sancti Adventists and other cults in respect of the ungodly. The idea being that eternal punishment is an occurrence with eternal results, not an eternal process. So it just means that eternally you will be gone. That is not what the Bible teaches. It's not universalism, friends, which asserts that everyone will ultimately be saved, including the devil. Daniel 12 and verse 2 says there's coming a resurrection of the just and a resurrection of the unjust. That one will be to life and the other will be to damnation. In Psalm 9 and verse 17 we have those awesome words. The wicked shall be turned into hell and all nations that forget God. And friends, against that verdict of that throne there will be no appeal. The decision will be fixed and it will be irreversible. There will be no reprieve, there will be no release. And that is why we have missions. And that is why we have prayer meetings. And that is why, friends, we make no apologies for old-fashioned gospel preaching. Because we want to see people saved from appearing at the great white throne, judgment and being cast into the lake of fire. People saved. And walking with God. Every person who is born into this world is lost and bound for the lake of fire and brimstone unless saved through Jesus. My question here this morning, even though I know that predominantly we are a Christian congregation, but you need to understand this to impassion your heart to live for God and to reach out to the lost to see them saved. But my question this morning is, is your name in that Lamb's book of life? Rejoice, said Jesus, not so much that demons are subject to you in my name, but that your names are written in heaven. Hallelujah. Oh, you had better get right with God, I tell you. And more than that, you and I as believers, we better live right before God. I conclude with the words of Peter in 2 Peter 3. Verse 11. Seeing then that all these things shall be dissolved, what manner of persons ought ye to be in all holy conversation and godliness, looking for and hastening unto the coming of the day of God, wherein the heavens being on fire shall be dissolved, and the elements shall melt with fervent heat? Nevertheless, we according to his promise look for new heavens and a new earth, wherein dwelleth righteousness. Wherefore, beloved, seeing that you look for such things, be diligent that you may be found of him in peace, without spot and blameless, and account the long suffering of our Lord is salvation. Hallelujah. Let's live for the Lord. Let's live to please him. Let's live to honor him. Let's do what we can, friends, together to reach out to those who are still in darkness and bound for that lake of fire, bound for that awesome great white throne judgment, unless they find Jesus. And Jesus finds them. Let's pray together.