JUDGEMENT

The Final Judgment

¹¹ 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. ¹² 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. ¹³ 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. ¹⁴ Then Death and Hades were cast into the lake of fire. This is the second death. ¹⁵ And anyone not found written in the Book of Life was cast into the lake of fire.

—Revelation 20:11–15

There follows now the final judgment of the army of Satan and then one more scene. This part of the vision literature of the Book of Revelation has been the most difficult to interpret with confidence. The opinions differ among Christian interpreters, and Leon Morris’s counsel is very helpful in his commentary on this millennial text. He writes: “There have been endless disputes, some of them very bitter, over the way to understand this chapter. Evangelicals have divided from one another and sometimes have been quite intolerant of views other than those of their own group. It is necessary to approach the chapter with humility and charity.”⁵

It is my view that this thousand-year portrayal is a mysterious reminder to the Christians of all time who read this letter. Its message is that our shepherd Lord both treasures His people and that His people share with Him in the holy task of sharing the gospel of Jesus Christ in the world. It is a priestly reign that the loyal followers of the Lamb are granted. The text is mysterious in that it is not said that this is a reign on earth or in heaven, but a priestly reign it is—and that means a task that the Lord’s people are enabled to do in the companionship of the Lamb. Wherever the disciples of Jesus Christ are—whether alive or dead—we belong to the Lamb and His task is our task. This amazing text has now preserved the mystery of it all.

The readers of John’s letter must have had a strange feeling at this point in the book as they realized the cosmic and far-reaching extent of their lives and ministries. The very term “a thousand years” stretches far beyond any lifespan that we can expect. As a symbol, therefore, this has the effect of affirming to us just how important God’s people are to Him—and especially those who have suffered in His name. It becomes a first glimpse of the eternal life that awaits God’s people.

The final scene in this movement is that of the white throne of God, and before the throne the great and the small standing before God as books were opened. The judgment is made upon each one of these who have been drawn up (resurrected) from all time to stand before God and hear of the result of the reading of the books. The most important book is the Book of Life. This term was first used in Revelation in the letter to the church of Sardis. In the Gospel of Luke our Lord also promised such a living record to His disciples, “… do not rejoice in this, that the spirits are subject to you; but rather rejoice because your names are written in heaven” (Luke 10:20). No further evidence is given to us with regard to the means and ways of this judgment, except that the God of justice and grace is the One who decides. Everything is out of our hands in this vision. It is the vision of the singular justice and kindness of God Himself.

This moment is a very serious and awesome moment, as even death itself is ended by the judgment of God. But it is a good moment too because God is that judge. The third symphonic movement ends with this scene of Holy de

Then I saw a great white throne and Him who sat upon it, from whose presence earth and heaven fled away, and no place was found for them. And I saw the dead, the great and the small, standing before the throne, and books were opened; and another book was opened, which is the book of life; and the dead were judged from the things which were written in the books, according to their deeds. And the sea gave up the dead which were in it, and death and Hades gave up the dead which were in them; and they were judged, every one of them according to their deeds. 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. (20:11–15)

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.

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.

Ever since the Fall, Satan, the father of lies (John 8:44), has attempted to deceive people about the reality of the coming judgment. He has done his best to convince people that there will be no final tribunal. Satan has deceived sinners into believing that they can live as they please without fear of ultimate accountability or future punishment. Satan said to Eve, “You surely will not die!” (Gen. 3:4), thus voicing his denial of judgment on sin. The primary means the devil uses in his deception are atheism (particularly the godless theory of evolution) and false religion. Atheism’s denial of God’s existence means there is no moral Judge to whom people are accountable after they die. They wrongly believe that they are free to sin as they please and then simply pass out of existence. The gods of most false religions are not holy, requiring inward righteousness and heart obedience, and they are appeased by ritual and ceremony; thus these gods inspire no fear of accountability in their worshipers.

But despite the vain, foolish speculations of men, the true and living God is the Supreme Judge of the universe. His judgment of unbelievers will be just, because He is just. Deuteronomy 32:4 says of God, “His work is perfect, for all His ways are just; a God of faithfulness and without injustice, righteous and upright is He.” Job 37:23–24 declares, “The Almighty—we cannot find Him; He is exalted in power and He will not do violence to justice and abundant righteousness. Therefore men fear Him.” God cannot but be just, because the absolutely holy perfection of His nature will not allow Him to do anything but what is right. God’s will is the supreme standard of justice and equity, and He wills nothing but what is just, right, and true. Nothing outside of Himself compels God to act justly; justice is His very nature. Thus, all of God’s acts toward people are perfectly just; sinners have all wronged God’s justice, but God’s justice has not wronged them, nor could it ever.

No one at the Great White Throne judgment will have the slightest grounds for complaint about his or her sentence. Those who reject God’s grace and mercy in this life will inevitably face His justice in the life to come. God said of wayward Israel, “My people did not listen to My voice, and Israel did not obey Me” (Ps. 81:11). To their equally stiff-necked descendants Jesus declared, “You are unwilling to come to Me so that you may have life” (John 5:40) and “You will die in your sins; for unless you believe that I am He, you will die in your sins” (John 8:24). Unrepentant sinners will experience God’s justice at the Great White Throne judgment.

This simple, but powerful text describes the terrifying reality of the final verdict and sentence on sinners under four headings: the scene, the summons, the standard, and the sentence.

The Scene

Then I saw a great white throne and Him who sat upon it, from whose presence earth and heaven fled away, and no place was found for them. And I saw the dead, the great and the small, standing before the throne, (20:11–12a)

In one brief, straightforward, unembellished statement, John describes the appalling, terrifying scene before him. The apostle is shown the Judge seated on His throne of judgment, and all the accused standing before Him. The familiar phrase kai eidon once again introduces a new vision in Revelation (cf. vv. 1, 4; 6:1; 7:2; 8:2; 10:1; 13:1, 11; 14:1, 6, 14; 15:1; 17:3; 19:11; 21:1). This vision of the Great White Throne judgment follows those of the Millennium (20:1–10), and the Second Coming (19:11–21), and immediately precedes that of the new heaven and the new earth (21:1ff.).

The first thing John saw was a great white throne. Nearly fifty times in Revelation there is the mention of a throne. In this case it is the seat of God’s sovereign rule (cf. 4:2–6, 9; 5:1–7, 13; 6:16; 7:10, 15; 19:4; 21:5). It is called great not only because of its size as greater than the thrones mentioned in 20:4, but also because of its significance, majesty, and authority. That it is white symbolizes its purity, holiness, and justice. The verdict handed down from this throne will be absolutely equitable, righteous, and just. “The Lord abides forever,” wrote David, “He has established His throne for judgment, and He will judge the world in righteousness; He will execute judgment for the peoples with equity” (Ps. 9:7–8). Daniel described this scene in Daniel 7:9–10:

“I kept looking

Until thrones were set up,

And the Ancient of Days took His seat;

His vesture was like white snow

And the hair of His head like pure wool.

His throne was ablaze with flames,

Its wheels were a burning fire.

A river of fire was flowing

And coming out from before Him;

Thousands upon thousands were attending Him,

And myriads upon myriads were standing before Him;

The court sat,

And the books were opened.”

Jesus described this scene as the “resurrection of judgment” (John 5:29). Of this judgment, the apostle Paul wrote, “Because of your stubbornness and unrepentant heart you are storing up wrath for yourself in the day of wrath and revelation of the righteous judgment of God” (Rom. 2:5).

Even more awe inspiring than the throne was the vision of Him who sat upon it. The judge on the throne is none other than the eternal, almighty God, described in the throne scene of 4:8–11:

And the four living creatures, each one of them having six wings, are full of eyes around and within; and day and night they do not cease to say,

“Holy, holy, holy is the Lord God, the Almighty, who was and who is and who is to come.”

And when the living creatures give glory and honor and thanks to Him who sits on the throne, to Him who lives forever and ever, the twenty-four elders will fall down before Him who sits on the throne, and will worship Him who lives forever and ever, and will cast their crowns before the throne, saying,

“Worthy are You, our Lord and our God, to receive glory and honor and power; for You created all things, and because of Your will they existed, and were created.”

Earlier in Revelation the Tribulation martyrs cried out, “Salvation to our God who sits on the throne, and to the Lamb” (7:10). In 19:4 “The twenty-four elders and the four living creatures fell down and worshiped God who sits on the throne saying, ‘Amen. Hallelujah!’ ” (cf. 1:4; 4: 9–10; 5:6–7, 13; 6:16). Sharing the throne with the Father is the Lord Jesus Christ. In 3:21 Jesus promised, “He who overcomes, I will grant to him to sit down with Me on My throne, as I also overcame and sat down with My Father on His throne.” In John’s vision of the new heaven and the new earth, he saw “the throne of God and of the Lamb” (22:1, 3).

Though the Father and the Son share the throne, it is the Son who is uniquely in view here, since Scripture teaches that He will judge sinners. In John 5:22 Jesus said, “Not even the Father judges anyone, but He has given all judgment to the Son,” while in verses 26–27 He added, “Just as the Father has life in Himself, even so He gave to the Son also to have life in Himself; and He gave Him authority to execute judgment, because He is the Son of Man.” In Acts 10:42 Peter declared that Jesus “is the One who has been appointed by God as Judge of the living and the dead.” The apostle Paul warned the pagan philosophers of Athens that God “has fixed a day in which He will judge the world in righteousness through a Man whom He has appointed, having furnished proof to all men by raising Him from the dead” (Acts 17:31). In Romans he wrote of “the day when, according to my gospel, God will judge the secrets of men through Christ Jesus” (Rom. 2:16), while to Timothy he noted that “Christ Jesus … is to judge the living and the dead” (2 Tim. 4:1). It is God in the Person of the glorified Lord Jesus Christ who will sit in final judgment on unbelievers.

After describing the vision of the Judge on His throne, John noted the startling reality that from His presence earth and heaven fled away. That amazing, incredible statement describes the “uncreation” of the universe. The earth will have been reshaped by the devastating judgments of the Tribulation and restored during the millennial kingdom. Yet it will still be tainted with sin and subject to the effects of the Fall—decay and death; hence it must be destroyed, since nothing corrupted by sin will be permitted to exist in the eternal state (2 Pet. 3:13). God will in its place create “a new heaven and a new earth; for the first heaven and the first earth passed away” (21:1; cf. 21:5; Isa. 65:17, 22; 2 Pet. 3:13). The present earth and heaven will not merely be moved or reshaped, since John saw in his vision that no place was found for them. They will be uncreated and go totally out of existence. This is nothing less than the sudden, violent termination of the universe (cf. Ps. 102:25–26; Isa. 51:6; Matt. 5:18; 24:35; Luke 16:17; 21:33; Heb. 1:11–12; 12:26–27). Barnhouse wrote, “There is to be an end of the material heavens and earth which we know. It is not that they are to be purified and rehabilitated, but that the reverse of creation is to take place. They are to be uncreated. As they came from nothing at the word of God, they are to be sucked back into nothingness by this same word of God” (Revelation: An Expository Commentary [Grand Rapids: Zondervan, 1971], 391).

The details of God’s uncreation of the universe are given by Peter in 2 Peter 3:10–13, which describes the final expression of the Day of the Lord:

But the day of the Lord will come like a thief, in which the heavens will pass away with a roar and the elements will be destroyed with intense heat, and the earth and its works will be burned up.

Since all these things are to be destroyed in this way, what sort of people ought you to be in holy conduct and godliness, looking for and hastening the coming of the day of God, because of which the heavens will be destroyed by burning, and the elements will melt with intense heat! But according to His promise we are looking for new heavens and a new earth, in which righteousness dwells.

The Day of the Lord will come suddenly, unexpectedly, and with disastrous consequences for the unprepared—just like the coming of a thief. When that Day comes, several things will happen. First, “the heavens will pass away with a roar.” Rhoizedon (“roar”) 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 … [when] the heavens will be destroyed by burning, and the elements will melt with intense heat.” Stoicheion (“elements”) refers to the basic building blocks of matter, such as atomic and subatomic particles. “Destroyed” is from the verb luō, and could be translated “dissolved.” The present universe will explode like a gigantic nuclear bomb, and the resulting “intense heat” will literally dissolve all the matter in it. The present laws of thermodynamics, which state that matter can neither be created nor destroyed, will no longer be in effect. As a result, the universe “will be burned up”; it will be totally consumed. The absolute reverse of creation will occur. It didn’t take eons of evolution to create the universe, nor will it take eons to uncreate it. The uncreation of the universe, like its creation, will take place by the word of God.

Introducing the final element in this fearful scene, John writes that he saw the dead, the great and the small, standing before the throne. The setting is the indescribable void, the inconceivable nothingness between the end of the present universe and the creation of the new heaven and the new earth. The prisoners before the bar are all physically dead, since there are no longer any living people—none could possibly have survived the destruction of the present universe. The last living unbelievers will perish when God crushes the rebellion at the end of the Millennium (20:8–9). The last living believers will be translated and transformed into their eternal bodies, like Enoch (Gen. 5:24), Elijah (2 Kings 2:11), and the raptured church (1 Thess. 4:13–18).

The dead pictured here standing before the throne of divine judgment are not just from the millennial rebellion, but include all the unbelievers who ever lived. This is the “resurrection of judgment” (John 5:29), the resurrection “to disgrace and everlasting contempt” (Dan. 12:2), the “resurrection of … the wicked” (Acts 24:15). The Bible teaches that no believer will ever face God’s judgment, because “there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus” (Rom. 8:1). Everyone “who believes in Him is not judged” (John 3:18); they have “eternal life, and [do] not come into judgment, but [have] passed out of death into life” (John 5:24). Far from being judged, all the godly participants in the first resurrection (20:6) will have already received their rewards (cf. v. 4; 19:7–9; 1 Cor. 3:12–15; 2 Cor. 5:10).

To emphasize the all-encompassing scope of the judgment, John notes that the sweeping mass of unbelievers before God’s throne includes both the great and the small. All will face judgment, the somebodies and the nobodies, “for there is no partiality with God” (Rom. 2:11; cf. Deut. 10:17; Job 34:19; Eph. 6:9; Col. 3:25; 1 Pet. 1:17). John Phillips provocatively wrote:

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. (Exploring Revelation, rev. ed. [Chicago: Moody, 1987; reprint, Neptune, N.J.: Loizeaux, 1991], 242–43)

The Summons

And the sea gave up the dead which were in it, and death and Hades gave up the dead which were in them; (20:13a)

As the next scene in this ultimate courtroom drama unfolds, the prisoners are summoned from their cells to appear before the Judge. Since their deaths, their souls have been tormented in a place of punishment; now the time has come for them to be sentenced to the final, eternal hell. Before the sea was uncreated and went out of existence (cf. 21:1), it gave up the dead which were in it. The sea may be singled out because it is seemingly the most difficult place from which bodies could be resurrected. But God will summon from its depths new bodies for all who perished in the sea throughout human history, including those who drowned in the Flood, those who went down with the Titanic, the Lusitania, the Arizona, and the countless other ships that have sunk, as well as all the millions of other people who met their end at sea. Death symbolizes all the places on land from which God will resurrect new bodies for the unrighteous dead. The sea and death are pictured as voracious monsters that have swallowed those bodies and will be forced to disgorge them before their uncreation.

Hades is the Greek equivalent of the Hebrew word sheol. Both words describe the realm of the dead. Sheol, used sixty-seven times in the Old Testament, describes the realm of the dead in general. Hades is used ten times in the New Testament, always in reference to the place of punishment (cf. Luke 16:23) where the unrighteous dead are kept pending their sentencing to hell. In this incredible scene, Hades is emptied of its captive spirits, who are reunited with resurrection bodies before the bar of God’s justice. Unbelievers, fitted with resurrection bodies suited for hell, will then be ready for their sentencing to the lake of fire where their punishment, unlike that in Hades, will last forever.

The Standard

and books were opened; and another book was opened, which is the book of life; and the dead were judged from the things which were written in the books, according to their deeds.… and they were judged, every one of them according to their deeds. (20:12b, 13b)

As the judgment commences, the Judge opens the books. The scene is reminiscent of the one described by Daniel:

“I kept looking

Until thrones were set up,

And the Ancient of Days took His seat;

His vesture was like white snow

And the hair of His head like pure wool.

His throne was ablaze with flames,

Its wheels were a burning fire.

A river of fire was flowing

And coming out from before Him;

Thousands upon thousands were attending Him,

And myriads upon myriads were standing before Him;

The court sat,

And the books were opened.”

(Dan. 7:9–10)

The books contain the record of every thought, word, and deed of every unsaved person who ever lived. God has kept perfect, accurate, and comprehensive records of every person’s life, and the dead will be judged from the things which were written in the books, according to their deeds. Sinners’ deeds will be measured against God’s perfect, holy standard, which Jesus defined in Matthew 5:48: “Therefore you are to be perfect, as your heavenly Father is perfect.” In his first epistle Peter wrote, “Like the Holy One who called you, be holy yourselves also in all your behavior; because it is written, ‘You shall be holy, for I am holy’ ” (1 Pet. 1:15–16). To the Galatians Paul wrote, “For as many as are of the works of the Law are under a curse; for it is written, ‘Cursed is everyone who does not abide by all things written in the book of the law, to perform them’ ” (Gal. 3:10)—a truth also taught by James: “For whoever keeps the whole law and yet stumbles in one point, he has become guilty of all” (James 2:10). No prisoner before the bar of divine justice will be able to claim the perfect obedience to God’s holy standards that He requires. They “all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God” (Rom. 3:23), and are “dead in [their] trespasses and sins” (Eph. 2:1).

God’s justice demands payment for every person’s sins. Christ paid that penalty for believers: “He was pierced through for our transgressions, He was crushed for our iniquities; the chastening for our well-being fell upon Him, and by His scourging we are healed. All of us like sheep have gone astray, each of us has turned to his own way; but the Lord has caused the iniquity of us all to fall on Him” (Isa. 53:5–6). “Christ redeemed us from the curse of the Law, having become a curse for us—for it is written, ‘Cursed is everyone who hangs on a tree’ ” (Gal. 3:13). God “made Him who knew no sin to be sin on our behalf, so that we might become the righteousness of God in Him” (2 Cor. 5:21). “[Christ] Himself bore our sins in His body on the cross, so that we might die to sin and live to righteousness” (1 Pet. 2:24). But unbelievers, not having Christ’s righteousness imputed to them (Phil. 3:9), will themselves pay the penalty for violating God’s law—eternal destruction in hell (2 Thess. 1:9).

God’s judgment of impenitent, unbelieving sinners’ evil deeds will include their thoughts. “God … knows the secrets of the heart” (Ps. 44:21), and He “will judge the secrets of men through Christ Jesus” (Rom. 2:16), “For nothing is hidden that will not become evident, nor anything secret that will not be known and come to light” (Luke 8:17). Sinners will also be judged for their words. Jesus said in Matthew 12:37, “For by your words you will be justified, and by your words you will be condemned.” Finally, unbelievers will be judged for their actions: “God will bring every act to judgment, everything which is hidden, whether it is good or evil” (Eccl. 12:14); “The Son of Man is going to come in the glory of His Father with His angels, and will then repay every man according to his deeds” (Matt. 16:27). Nor will anyone be able to claim ignorance of God’s standards, because both creation (Rom. 1:20) and the conscience (Rom. 2:14–15) reveal God’s righteousness. Those without knowledge of God’s law will be judged on the basis of the knowledge they did have (Rom. 2:12).

The absolute, unerring accuracy of God’s judgment will ensure that unbelievers’ punishment in hell fits their iniquity. Each person’s life will be individually evaluated, and each person’s punishment will be consistent with that evaluation. Thus, Scripture teaches that there will be varying degrees of punishment in hell. When He sent the twelve out on a preaching tour Jesus told them, “Whoever does not receive you, nor heed your words, as you go out of that house or that city, shake the dust off your feet. Truly I say to you, it will be more tolerable for the land of Sodom and Gomorrah in the day of judgment than for that city” (Matt. 10:14–15). Rebuking several cities for their unbelief, Jesus declared:

“Woe to you, Chorazin! Woe to you, Bethsaida! For if the miracles had occurred in Tyre and Sidon which occurred in you, they would have repented long ago in sackcloth and ashes. Nevertheless I say to you, it will be more tolerable for Tyre and Sidon in the day of judgment than for you. And you, Capernaum, will not be exalted to heaven, will you? You will descend to Hades; for if the miracles had occurred in Sodom which occurred in you, it would have remained to this day. Nevertheless I say to you that it will be more tolerable for the land of Sodom in the day of judgment, than for you.” (Matt. 11:21–24)

The hypocritical scribes “who like to walk around in long robes, and like respectful greetings in the market places, and chief seats in the synagogues and places of honor at banquets, who devour widows’ houses, and for appearance’s sake offer long prayers; these will receive greater condemnation” (Mark 12:38–40). Describing the final judgment in the parable of the faithful steward, Jesus taught that “[the] slave who knew his master’s will and did not get ready or act in accord with his will, will receive many lashes, but the one who did not know it, and committed deeds worthy of a flogging, will receive but few” (Luke 12:47–48). The writer of Hebrews asks, “How much severer punishment do you think he will deserve who has trampled under foot the Son of God, and has regarded as unclean the blood of the covenant by which he was sanctified, and has insulted the Spirit of grace?” (Heb. 10:29).

It should be noted that while there are varying degrees of punishment in hell, everyone there will suffer intolerable, indescribable misery and torment. All sinners in hell will be utterly separated from God and all that comes from His goodness. Thus, they will be miserable, but not equally miserable.

After the books containing the prisoners’ evil deeds were opened, another book was opened, which is the book of life. This book’s imagery corresponds to the registry of citizens kept by ancient cities; it contains the names of all those whose “citizenship is in heaven” (Phil. 3:20). It is referred to several times in Revelation (v. 15; 3:5; 13:8; 17:8; 21:27). The book of life is the record of God’s elect (cf. Dan. 12:1; Mal. 3:16; Luke 10:20; Phil. 4:3; Heb. 12:23), and all whose names are not recorded in it will be eternally damned.

Since their names were not in the book of life, the prisoners before the Great White Throne were judged, every one of them according to their deeds. Some, in shock and horror, will protest, “Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in Your name, and in Your name cast out demons, and in Your name perform many miracles?” (Matt. 7:22). But they will hear in reply the most chilling, terrifying words that any human will ever hear: “I never knew you; depart from me, you who practice lawlessness” (Matt. 7:23). Those who refuse to plead guilty to their sins in this world, repent, and ask God for a pardon based on the substitutionary work of Christ will face trial after they die. And on that day, they will be pronounced guilty.

The Sentence

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. (20:14–15)

The evidence is irrefutable, the verdict rendered; judgment will be swiftly carried out. As the sentence is passed, death and Hades (the grave, and the temporary place of punishment for everyone whose name was not found written in the book of life) were thrown into the lake of fire, meaning that they will go out of existence, swallowed up by the final hell. Their inmates, currently suffering in their spirits only, will be united with specially designed resurrection bodies and cast into eternal hell (cf. Matt. 10:28). That final hell, described as the lake of fire, may already exist (cf. Matt. 25:41), but if so, it is currently unoccupied. Its first two occupants, the beast and the false prophet, will not arrive until the end of the Tribulation (19:20).

The clearest and most vivid of the New Testament terms used to describe the final hell, the lake of fire, is geenna (Gehenna). Gehenna is the New Testament word for the valley of Ben-Hinnom (also called Topheth; 2 Kings 23:10; Isa. 30:33; Jer. 7:31–32; 19:6), located southwest of Jerusalem. In Old Testament times, idolatrous Israelites burned their children in the fire there as sacrifices to false gods (Jer. 19:2–6). In Jesus’ day, it was the site of Jerusalem’s garbage dump. The fires kept constantly burning there gave off foul-smelling smoke, and the dump was infested with maggots. Sometimes the bodies of criminals were dumped there. The valley of Ben-Hinnom was thus an apt picture of eternal hell, one used repeatedly by Jesus (Matt. 5:22, 29, 30; 10:28; 18:9; 23:15, 33; Mark 9:43, 45, 47; Luke 12:5). Hell will be God’s eternal cosmic dump; its inmates will be burning as garbage forever.

The blessed and holy participants in the first resurrection will not experience the second death (20:6). But the rest of the dead, who did not participate in the first resurrection (20:5), will face the second death, which is defined here as the lake of fire. Those who die in their sins in this present world of time and space will die a second death in eternity—they will be sentenced to the lake of fire forever.

Scripture vividly portrays the various aspects of the final, fiery hell. Fire is used more than twenty times in the New Testament to depict the torment of hell (cf. vv. 10, 15; 14:10; 19:20; 21:8; Matt. 3:10–12; 5:22; 7:19; 13:40, 42, 50; 18:8–9; 25:41; Mark 9:44; Luke 3:9, 16–17; John 15:6; Heb. 10:27; Jude 7). Whether the fire of hell is literal, physical fire is unknown, since the lake of fire exists outside the created universe as we know it. If the fire here is symbolic, the reality it represents will be even more horrifying and painful. The Bible also depicts hell as a place of total darkness, which will isolate its inmates from each other (Matt. 8:12; 22:13; 25:30; 2 Pet. 2:17; Jude 13); as a place where the worm (possibly emblematic of an accusing conscience) devouring the wicked will never die (Isa. 66:24; Mark 9:44); as a place of banishment from God’s kingdom (Matt. 8:12; 22:13); and as a place of unending sorrow, where there is “weeping and gnashing of teeth” (Matt. 8:12; 13:42, 50; 22:13; 24:51; 25:30; Luke 13:28).

There is only one way to avoid the terrifying reality of hell. Those who confess their sins and ask God to forgive them on the basis of Christ’s substitutionary death on their behalf will be delivered from God’s eternal wrath (Rom. 5:9; 1 Thess. 1:10; 5:9). For those who refuse to repent, the somber warning expressed by the writer of Hebrews will apply:

For if we go on sinning willfully after receiving the knowledge of the truth, there no longer remains a sacrifice for sins, but a terrifying expectation of judgment and the fury of a fire which will consume the adversaries. Anyone who has set aside the Law of Moses dies without mercy on the testimony of two or three witnesses. How much severer punishment do you think he will deserve who has trampled under foot the Son of God, and has regarded as unclean the blood of the covenant by which he was sanctified, and has insulted the Spirit of grace? For we know Him who said, “Vengeance is mine, I will repay.” And again, “The Lord will judge His people.” It is a terrifying thing to fall into the hands of the living God. SETTING OF GREAT WHITE THRONE WHERE LOST ARE JUDGED

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 [Rev. 20:11].

The Great White Throne is what men mistakenly call the general judgment. It is general only in the sense that all the lost of all ages are raised to be judged here. All who are saved have been raised in the first resurrection. Even the Tribulation saints had part in the first resurrection. This is the second resurrection in which the lost are raised to be given an equitable, fair, and just evaluation of their works in respect to their salvation.

A man on his deathbed said to me, “Preacher, you just don’t need to talk to me about the future. I’ll take my chances. I believe God is going to be just and righteous and let me present my works.”

I told him, “You are right. He is just and righteous, and He will let you present your works. That is what He says He is going to do. But I have news for you: At that judgment nobody is saved, because you cannot be saved by your works. When you stand in the white light of the righteous presence of God, your little works will seem so puny that they won’t amount to anything at all.”

The other day our little grandson brought to his grandmother some flowers that he had picked. I want to tell you, they were a sad looking bunch of flowers. With great pride he gave them to his grandmother, and his grandmother patted him on the head and thanked him for the lovely flowers. As I looked at that scene, I could not help but smile, but I also immediately recognized how solemn it is going to be when a lot of these goody–goody boys stand with their little, bitty bouquets in the presence of a Christ whom they have rejected. They expect that He will be like a grandmother who will pat them on the head and say, “What a smart boy you were!” My friend, this is solemn, and this is serious. You need Him as Savior in order to stand in His presence; you need to be clothed with the righteousness of Christ. Don’t you know that without this we are sinners and we are lost?

We like to compare ourselves with other people: “I’m as good as the Joneses down the street.” Sure you are, but you ought to know about the Joneses! It was Samuel Johnson who said, “Every man knows that of himself which he dares not tell his dearest friend.” You know yourself, don’t you? You know things that you have covered up and smothered that you would not reveal for anything in the world. The Lord Jesus is going to bring them out at this judgment; while you are presenting your little bouquet, He is going to tell you about yourself. My friend, you need a Savior today.

This is the Great White Throne, and the holiness of this throne is revealed in the reaction of heaven and earth to it: “from whose face the earth and the heaven fled away.” Of this, John F. Walvoord, in his book The Revelation of Jesus Christ, comments:

The most natural interpretation of the fact that earth and heaven flee away is that the present earth and heaven are destroyed and will be replaced by the new heaven and new earth. This is also confirmed by the additional statement in 21:1 where John sees a new heaven and a new earth replacing the first heaven and the first earth which have passed away.

The One seated on the throne is the Lord Jesus Christ: “For the Father judgeth no man, but hath committed all judgment unto the Son…. For as the Father hath life in himself; so hath he given to the Son to have life in himself; and hath given him authority to execute judgment also, because he is the Son of man. Marvel not at this: for the hour is coming, in the which all that are in the graves shall hear his voice, and shall come forth; they that have done good, unto the resurrection of life; and they that have done evil, unto the resurrection of damnation” (John 5:22, 26–29).

What is the work of God? It is to “… believe on him whom he hath sent” (John 6:29). Those who have done good are they who have accepted Christ, and they come forth unto the resurrection of life—that is the first resurrection. They who have done evil come forth unto the resurrection of damnation and condemnation—that is the Great White Throne judgment.

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 [Rev. 20:12–13].

And I saw the dead, great and small, standing before the throne; and books were opened; and another book was opened, which is the book of life; and the dead were judged out of the things which were written in the books, according to their works. And the sea gave up the dead that were in it; and death and Hades gave up the dead that were in them; and they were judged every one according to their works.

Yes, my friend, you will be able to get a fair trial there. Your life is on tape, and Christ happens to have the tape. When He plays it back, you will be able to listen to it, and it is not going to sound good to you, by any means. Are you willing to stand before God and have Him play the tape of your life? I think He will have it on a television screen so that you can watch it, too. Do you think your life can stand the test? I do not know about you, but I could not make it. Thank God for His grace—“For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God” (Eph. 2:8).

The dead are classified as the small and the great. They are all lost, for evidently some have their names written in the Book of Life. They had never turned to God for salvation. The Lord Jesus said that in His generation “… ye will not come to me, that ye might have life” (John 5:40). These folk standing before His throne had not come.

These are books which record the works of all individuals. God keeps the tapes, and He will play them at the right time. There will be a lot of politicians who will have their tapes played in that day, and there will be a lot of public figures—even preachers—who will have their tapes played in that day, and they are not going to be happy about it. If you are saved, you are going to be happy about it. If you are saved, you are not going to stand before this judgment. Your works are to be judged as a child of God at the judgment seat of Christ, which will be for the purpose of rewards (see 2 Cor. 5:10). The Great White Throne judgment is the judgment of the lost. Multitudes want to be judged according to their works. This is their opportunity. The judgment is just, but no one is saved by works.

“And the sea gave up the dead that were in it.” Multitudes who have gone to a watery grave in which the chemicals of their bodies have been dissolved in the waters of the sea will be raised. God will have no problem with this. After all, they are only atoms. He just has to ¹

(Heb. 10:26–31)

Sinners Are Recompensed (Rev. 20:11–15)

There shall be a second resurrection, and the unsaved will be raised and will stand before God’s judgment. Do not confuse this judgment at the White Throne with the Judgment Seat of Christ, where believers will have their works judged and rewarded. At this judgment, there will be only unbelievers; and there will be no rewards. John described here an awesome scene. Heaven and earth will flee away and no place will be left for sinners to hide! All must face the Judge!

The Judge is Jesus Christ, for the Father has committed all judgment to Him (Matt. 19:28; John 5:22–30; Acts 17:31). These lost sinners rejected Christ in life; now they must be judged by Him and face eternal death.

From where do these “dead” come? Death will give up the bodies, and hades (the realm of the spirits of the dead) will give up the spirits. There will even be a resurrection of bodies from the sea. No sinner will escape.

Jesus Christ will judge these unsaved people on the basis of what is written “in the books.” What books? For one thing, God’s Word will be there. “The Word that I have spoken, the same shall judge him in the last day” (John 12:48). Every sinner will be held accountable for the truth he or she has heard in this life.

There will also be a book containing the works of the sinners being judged, though this does not suggest that a person can do good works sufficient to enter heaven (Eph. 2:8–9; Titus 3:5). Why, then, will Jesus Christ consider the works, good and bad, of the people before the White Throne? To determine the degree of punishment they will endure in hell. All of these people will be cast into hell. Their personal rejection of Jesus Christ has already determined their destiny. But Jesus Christ is a righteous Judge, and He will assign each sinner the place that he deserves.

There are degrees of punishment in hell (Matt. 11:20–24). Each lost sinner will receive just what is due him, and none will be able to argue with the Lord or question His decision. God knows what sinners are doing, and His books will reveal the truth.

“The Book of Life” will be there, containing the names of God’s redeemed people (Phil. 4:3; Rev. 21:27; note also 13:8; 17:8). No unsaved person will have his or her name in the Lamb’s Book of Life; only true believers are recorded there (Luke 10:20).

When the judgment is finished, all of the lost will be cast into hell, the lake of fire, the second death. Many people reject the biblical doctrine of hell as being “unchristian,” and yet Jesus clearly taught its reality (Matt. 18:8; 23:15, 33; 25:46; Mark 9:46). A sentimental kind of humanistic religion will not face the reality of judgment, but teaches a God who loves everyone into heaven and sends no one to hell.

Hell is a witness to the righteous character of God. He must judge sin. Hell is also a witness to man’s responsibility, the fact that he is not a robot or a helpless victim, but a creature able to make choices. God does not “send people to hell”; they send themselves by rejecting the Saviour (Matt. 25:41; John 3:16–21). Hell is also a witness to the awfulness of sin. If we once saw sin as God sees it, we would understand why a place such as hell exists.

In light of Calvary, no lost sinner can condemn God for casting him into hell. God has provided a way of escape, patiently waiting for sinners to repent. He will not lower His standards or alter His requirements. He has ordained that faith in His Son is the only way of salvation.

The White Throne Judgment will be nothing like our modern court cases. At the White Throne, there will be a Judge but no jury, a prosecution but no defense, a sentence but no appeal. No one will be able to defend himself or accuse God of unrighteousness. What an awesome scene it will be!

Before God can usher in His new heavens and earth, He must finally deal with sin; and this He will do at the Great White Throne.

You can escape this terrible judgment by trusting Jesus Christ as your personal Saviour. By so doing, you never will be a part of the second resurrection or experience the terrors of the second death, the lake of fire.

“He that heareth My Word,” said Jesus, “and believeth on Him that sent Me, hath everlasting life, and shall not come into condemnation [judgment], but is passed from death unto life” (John 5:24).

Have you trusted Him and passed from death unto life?²

11. This is the judgment of the wicked dead, distinct from all the previous ones just considered. It is described as great because it is the most awesome assize ever held. The characterization white has reference to the purity and holiness with which it will be conducted. The throne indicates that majestic authority is involved. The One who sits on the throne is the Lord Jesus Christ (cf. Jn 5:22, 27; 2 Tim 4:1). To underscore the gravity of the proceedings, John states that the earth and the heaven fled away from His presence, and there was found no place for them. This does not mean the annihilation of the earth and heaven. It is rather that the Great White Throne Judgment will take place between the passing of the Millennial scene and the entrance on the new heaven and earth.

12. Stand before God. Where will the subjects of the judgment stand? They will be upheld by God in space. This is a deeply solemn scene that merges into eternity. The judgment is final and eternal; for all that are circumscribed, that is, earth and heaven, have passed away. The high and low of rank on earth will be there. The sinner is now brought face-to-face with God the Son, from whom he cannot escape. The distinctions of this verse are vital: notice that there are books … and another book. Could not the latter be included in the former? By no means, because both entities are defined. The book is the book of life, in which all who have trusted Christ are inscribed. Here it is introduced to show that the subjects of the judgment are unsaved. The books contain the record of their works (cf. vss. 12–13). Why is there any need to consult their works, if they are lost? It is intended to reveal the number and gravity of their sins to determine degrees of their punishment (cf. carefully Lk 12:47–48).

13. Even the unsaved who have died on the seas, whose bodies have never been recovered, will not be exempt from this august tribunal (cf. Jn 5:28, 29). Death (used here for the grave) gives up the bodies; hell gives up the souls. No one is said to escape or enter eternal bliss. All the unsaved will suffer their eternal doom (cf. 20:6).

14. Death and hell, brought into existence by man’s sin, end where all sinners do, namely, the lake of fire. This means an actual, eternal separation from God in conscious, unceasing torment.

15. Whosoever. There is no indication that any individual at the Great White Throne ever escapes judgment. The cause of their final doom—not that they did not accumulate sufficient good deeds in the books—is that their names were not found written in the Lamb’s book of life (cf. 3:5; 13:8; 21:27). This is all-inclusive, from Cain to the end of human history.20:11 Next, John saw a great white throne with someone sitting on it. He did not identify the one on the throne. Throughout Revelation, it is God who is pictured as sitting on a throne (see, for example, 4:2; 7:10; 19:4). Daniel had a similar vision (Daniel 7:9–10). Some suggest that the one sitting on the great white throne is Jesus, citing several verses (Matthew 25:31; John 5:22; 2 Corinthians 5:10). Most likely, the little verse that solves the mystery is found in Jesus’ statement, “The Father and I are one” (John 10:20); thus, the one throne is occupied by the Father and the Son as one.

With the appearance of this one on the throne, the earth and sky fled from his presence, but they found no place to hide. This poetic imagery could describe the dissolution of everything material and corrupt in the presence of God as Judge; it could also depict the end of the old earth and old heavens—in preparation for the creation of the new (21:1). (See also Isaiah 51:6; Matthew 24:35; 2 Peter 3:10–12.)

20:12–13 The dead, both great and small probably refers to all people—believers and nonbelievers. No one will escape God’s scrutiny. Why they are called “the dead” is uncertain. Some suggest that this is only the judgment of unbelievers because they would be the ones still dead who would take part in the second resurrection (20:5). However, it most likely stands for everyone, for God “will judge everyone, both the living and the dead” (1 Peter 4:5). Christ described the judgment of all people (Matthew 25:31–33, 46).

This is the great and final judgment, the place where the books will be opened, including the Book of Life. As noted in 3:5, this is the heavenly registry of those who have accepted Christ’s gift of salvation. All people will be judged according to the things written in the books, according to what they had done. The idea of judgment by works is a theme throughout the Old and New Testaments (Psalm 62:12; Jeremiah 17:10; Daniel 7:10; Romans 2:6; 14:10–12; 1 Corinthians 3:12–15; 2 Corinthians 5:10; 1 Peter 1:17). No one will be forgotten at this final gathering.

Believers will be judged—not to see if they merit eternal life, for their names will already be in the Book of Life. This will be a judgment for rewards. Believers’ works cannot save them, but their deeds are important to God. The deeds with which believers build their lives do matter (1 Corinthians 3:11–15). Unbelievers also will be judged according to their works, but, of course, no works, no matter how good, will be able to save them.

20:14–15 And death and the grave were thrown into the lake of fire. This is the second death—the lake of fire. And anyone whose name was not found in the Book of Life was thrown into the lake of fire. God’s judgment is complete. As Paul said, “The last enemy to be destroyed is death” (1 Corinthians 15:26). Isaiah had foreseen this day: “He will swallow up death forever” Isaiah 25:8). The lake of fire is the ultimate destination of everything wicked—Satan, the beast, the false prophet, the demons, death, Hades, and anyone whose name was not written in the book of life. This is the second death. They died the first time physically; this time their death was spiritual. The lake of fire was prepared by God for the Devil and his angels (Matthew 25:41). Those who refuse to believe in Christ will share the Devil’s judgment. (For more on the “lake of fire” see commentary at 19:3; 19:20; 20:10.)³

20:11–15 God appears in a scene of final judgment. God’s authority to judge has already been anticipated in chs. 4; 5. Now He executes the judgment that befits His character and power over the created universe. The vision shares features with Ps. 7:6–8; 47:8, 9; Dan. 7:9, 10 and other Old Testament judgment scenes (cf. Matt. 25:31–46).

Injustices and sufferings in history never escape God’s eye. Those who persecute and practice injustice cannot ultimately win. God will judge every deed, all wrongs will be righted, and all attempts to dethrone God and enthrone anything or anyone else will be turned around to frustrate God’s enemies completely. The prospect of final judgment ought to be a terror to God’s enemies but a foundation of assurance to the saints.

This judgment follows the thousand years of vv. 2, 7. Premillennialists believe that the Second Coming precedes the thousand years, and hence must include a distinct judgment of its own. At the Second Coming Christians receive their reward, and this later judgment is for the wicked and those living in untransformed bodies during the thousand years. Amillennialists and postmillennialists, on the other hand, have generally understood this passage as one among many references to a universal final judgment at the Second Coming (vv. 1–10 note).⁴

20:11 The great white throne is a picture of God’s holy rule and judgment. The One occupying the throne may be God the Father (see 1 Cor. 15:24–28) or both the Father and the Lamb (Christ), as in the New Jerusalem (22:1, 3). The earth and the heaven fled is a poetic way of describing the burning up of this creation and its related works, as described in 2 Pet. 3:10–13. There is no place for this sin-polluted creation in the new heaven and new earth (21:1–22:5).

20:12 The dead, called “the rest of the dead” in v. 5, are raised and made to stand before God’s throne of judgment. To some, the first resurrection (v. 5) includes only martyrs (v. 4), so that both believers and unbelievers will stand before the great white throne. Others point to the broad promises to Christians in the Book of Revelation of ruling with Christ (see 1:6; 2:26, 27; 5:10) as evidence that all Christians will experience the first resurrection and thus will not have to endure the great white throne judgment. Books refers to the record of all works done in this life. Since all have sinned and fall short of God’s standard (see Rom. 3:23), the opening of these books would certainly lead to eternal sentences in the lake of fire. The Book of Life, God’s register of those who are saved (17:8), is also opened. So although no one will be judged acceptable based on works (see Eph. 2:9), many will be saved by God’s grace received by faith in Jesus Christ (see Eph. 2:8).

20:13, 14 The sea is the resting place of unburied bodies. Death and Hades refers not only to dying, but to existence beyond the grave (1:18; 6:8). The picture here is of all intermediate abodes of human bodies giving them up to God’s judgment. While unbelieving humanity is judged according to its works, Death and Hades, the Lord’s final enemy (see 1 Cor. 15:26), is also destroyed by being cast into the lake of fire. The second death is spiritual and eternal, the just punishment of the wicked. The first death is physical dying. Both are included in the overall meaning of the death that came upon the human race because of Adam and Eve’s sin (see Gen. 2:16, 17; 3:1–19; Rom. 5:12).

20:15 Only God’s elect, those whose names are written in the Book of Life, will escape the lake of fire. The rejection of the eternal gospel results in eternal condemnation (14:6, 7).⁵

⁶

1 McGee, J. V. (1991). Thru the Bible commentary: The Prophecy (Revelation 14-22) (electronic ed., Vol. 60, pp. 155–158). Nashville: Thomas Nelson.

2 Wiersbe, W. W. (1996). The Bible exposition commentary (Vol. 2, pp. 620–621). Wheaton, IL: Victor Books.

3 Barton, B., Comfort, P., Osborne, G., Taylor, L. K., & Veerman, D. (2001). Life Application New Testament Commentary (p. 1267). Wheaton, IL: Tyndale.

4 Sproul, R. C. (Ed.). (2005). The Reformation Study Bible: English Standard Version (p. 1870). Orlando, FL; Lake Mary, FL: Ligonier Ministries.

5 Radmacher, E. D., Allen, R. B., & House, H. W. (1997). The Nelson Study Bible: New King James Version (Re 20:11–15). Nashville: T. Nelson Publishers.

6 MacArthur, J. F., Jr. (2000). Revelation 12–22 (pp. 245–258). Chicago: Moody Press.