Have you ever wondered what Judgment Day will be like for an unbeliever? The Bible does not leave us guessing. The book of Revelation describes Judgment Day with vivid details.
11. Then I saw a great white throne and him who was seated on it. From his presence earth and sky fled away, and no place was found for them. 12. And I saw the dead, great and small, standing before the throne, and books were opened. Then another book was opened, which is the book of life. And the dead were judged by what was written in the books, according to what they had done. 13. And the sea gave up the dead who were in it, Death and Hades gave up the dead who were in them, and they were judged, each one of them, according to what they had done. 14. Then Death and Hades were thrown into the lake of fire. This is the second death, the lake of fire. 15. And if anyone’s name was not found written in the book of life, he was thrown into the lake of fire” (Revelations 20:11-15 ESV).
The Great White Throne:
Let's study this passage one verse at a time.
“Then I saw a great white throne and him who was seated on it. From his presence earth and sky fled away, and no place was found for them” (Revelations 20:11 ESV).
Imagine standing before this great white throne and beholding God Almighty for the first time. All the nations of the earth, from all time, will stand with you for one eternal purpose, judgment. As God takes His throne, the most fearful demonstration of His power will take place. In earthly courts, all people rise when the judge enters the courtroom. In heaven’s court, all people will fall to their knees as God's presence sweeps over the courtroom in such a real and tangible way that it causes all of creation, the earth and sky will literally run away from His presence. God’s presence will saturate heaven's courtroom so completely that there is no room left for anything else. Not only will you see God sitting before you but you will feel Him all around you. God's omnipresence (being everywhere at the same time) and His omnipotence (having unlimited power) will be seen and felt by you like you have never felt it before. Those who are not Christians will want run away with creation as it flees God's presence but they will not be able to. They will want to reach for something to cover their nakedness and look for a place to hide but there will be nothing left to hide behind. While beholding God's unlimited power and perfect holiness, all the peoples of the earth will find their knees buckling beneath them as every knee bows and every tongue acknowledges that Jesus is God (Romans 14:11).
Books and the Book of Life:
“And I saw the dead, great and small, standing before the throne, and books were opened. Then another book was opened, which is the book of life. And the dead were judged by what was written in the books, according to what they had done” (Revelations 20:12 ESV).
As you lift your eyes to look around heaven's courtroom, you will notice several things. The first thing you will observe is people you recognize from earth. To your surprise, felons, drunkards, drug addicts, and prostitutes will be bowing next to famous athletes, CEO’s, and Hollywood stars. Everyone will stand on level ground before God to be judged. They will all be held accountable to the same standard for the lives they lived.
The second thing you will notice is a multitude of books. Perhaps on earth you thought God did not exist and if He did, He was distant and unaware of your life. To your surprise, you will learn that all along, God was very close to you. As a matter of fact, God knows you so well that He wrote a biography just about you (Psalms 139:16). This biography will be read on your Judgment Day. Every intimate detail of your life from the time of your birth to the day of your death will be read with such precision that you will feel like you are reliving your life moment by moment. Every conversation you had on earth will be written down. Every harsh word spoken will be in the book (Matthew 12:36). As the book is read, you will notice that no act of kindness will be left out and no sin will be missing from its pages (Matthew 10:42; Romans 14:10-12; Hebrews 4:13). Your life will literally flash before your eyes as you are judged according to what you had done on earth.
One thing will be very clear to you, God’s judgment of your life will be final. Earthly courts allow for a process of appeals because earthly judges do not know all the facts. Through the process of appeals, a convicted person can present new evidence to prove his innocence. Heaven’s courtroom is different. As your biography is read, you will realize that God knows you better than you know yourself. One of the things that makes hell so hellish is the fact that it is impossible to appeal God’s judgment. Those in hell know they don't have additional evidence to present to God because God literally knows everything. His judgment will be just, fair, and final.
The third thing you will notice is a single book among all the books that stands alone. The books in heaven will reveal who you are and the Book of Life will reveal whose you are. Those who belong to God will have their names written in the Book of Life. Is your name written in the Book of Life?
Look at the picture above. Notice on one side of the throne there are several opened books and on the other side there is one open book. This is how it will be on this Judgment Day. The books are biographies of people’s lives. The single book is the Book of Life.
Everyone will be judged:
“And the sea gave up the dead who were in it. Death and Hades gave up the dead who were in them, and they were judged, each one of them, according to what they had done” (Revelations 20:13 ESV).
It doesn't matter how you died, you will stand before God to be judged. It doesn’t matter if your final resting place is at the bottom of the sea, you will stand before God and give an account for the life you lived.
Eternal life:
“Then Death and Hades were thrown into the lake of fire. This is the second death, the lake of fire. And if anyone’s name was not found written in the book of life, he was thrown into the lake of fire” (Revelations 20:14-15 ESV).
Not only will this be your Judgment Day but it will also be a great and eternal separation day. Life will be separated from death. Death will be cast into the lake of fire leaving only eternal life for every soul (Revelations 20:14). This, of course, is good news for those who will spend eternity in heaven but it is terrible news for those who are cast into hell. Notice the sequence of verses 14 and 15. Death is destroyed before people are cast into hell. Those in Hell will long for death but will not find it. Death will be no more. All that will be left is eternal life in Heaven or eternal life in hell.
Righteousness will be separated from unrighteousness. Sin and all that causes sin will be cast into the lake of fire leaving only eternal righteousness (Matthew 13:41-42).
Lastly, people will be separated like a shepherd separates his sheep from the goats. God will place the righteous on His right and the unrighteous on His left. God will say to the righteous, "Come, you who are blessed by my Father; take your inheritance, the kingdom prepared for you since the creation of the world" (Matthew 25:34). Imagine standing among the unrighteous. These people's fear will be far greater than those who have stood before earthly executors. These people don't simply face a death sentence, they stand moments away from being cast into the eternal lake of fire. Then God will say to those on His left, whose names are not in the book of life, ”Depart form me, you who are cursed, into the eternal fire prepared for the devil and his angels" (Matthew 25:41).
Are you ready for this great Judgment / Separation Day? Will you be found standing among the righteous or the wicked?
Romans 2:6-11
I did this brief study in Revelations because it paints a clear picture of the Scripture in Romans we are studying today. There is nothing to add or take away from what I have already written so I will simply let you read today’s passage in Romans.
“6. He will render to each one according to his works: 7. to those who by patience in well-doing seek for glory and honor and immortality, he will give eternal life; 8. but for those who are self-seeking and do not obey the truth, but obey unrighteousness, there will be wrath and fury. 9. There will be tribulation and distress for every human being who does evil, the Jew first and also the greek, 10. but glory and honor and peace for everyone who does good, the Jew first and also the Greek. 11. For God shows no partiality” (Romans 2:6-11 ESV).
Mark your Bibles:
Next to Romans 2:6-11 write the words, “Judgment Day (Revelations 20:11-15).”
Prayer to Pray:
Father, You are Almighty God. There is none like You. I know that I cannot stand on Your Judgment Day on my own accord. I need you to help me. Please forgive and erase all of my sins from Your books. I want to follow You. Please teach me Your ways and help me to walk in them.
