What Do We Know About the Final Judgment?

 

The Great White Throne Judgment – Dennis Edwards

We true believers in Christ do not take part in the judgment at the Great White Throne of God, nor in the second death. We get judged at the judgment seat of Christ at our death. “For we must all (Christian believers) appear before the judgment seat of Christ; that everyone may receive the things done in his body, according to that he has done, whether it be good or bad,” 2 Corinthians 5:10. Apostle Paul also said, “For to me to live is Christ, and to die is gain…For I am in a straight between two, having a desire to depart, and to be with Christ; which is far better,” Philippians 1:21&23. Paul is expressing his belief that at death he will go to be with Christ, not to purgatory, nor to remain in the grave waiting for the rapture/resurrection event. It seems at death, we who are in Christ go before the judgment seat of Christ for our rewards or punishments.

In Daniel we read, "And many of them that sleep in the dust of the earth shall awake, some to everlasting life, and some to shame and everlasting contempt," Daniel 12:2. If Daniel is talking about the rapture/resurrection of believers, then it seems some will be honoured in the new life, while others, who knew their master's will but didn't complete it, will live in shame for their failure. We true believers take part in the first resurrection. Those who are not saved, who don’t believe, will be judged by their works at the judgment that takes place at the Great White Throne Judgment of God.

“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.  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.” Revelation 20:11-15.

God is very merciful and will not condemn anyone unjustly. If we believe on Christ and follow Him closely, His blood covers our sins and we are forgiven and walk with His righteousness. If we reject Christ or have never heard of him, we will be judged by our works, whether they we good or evil. For the ungodly, this is still an example of God's love and mercy.

Where exactly the souls of the dead who don't believe remain until the time of the Great White throne Judgment is debateable. Some say they remain "dead," or “asleep.” Others believe they are in a type of purgatory until that time. Wherever they are, we will not be with them, if we are faithful unto the end for Jesus. And we will be faithful, for He will not let any of His children fall out of His hand.  ^“My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me: And I give unto them eternal life; and they shall never perish, neither shall any man pluck them out of my hand. My Father, which gave them me, is greater than all; and no man is able to pluck them out of my Father's hand,” John 10:27-29. “Being confident of this very thing, that He which has begun a good work in you will perform it until the day of Jesus Christ,” Philippians 1:6.

We that are believers will be with God in death, as Jesus has explained. “But as touching the resurrection of the dead, have you not read that which was spoken unto you by God, saying, I am the God of Abraham, and the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob? God is not the God of the dead, but of the living,” Matthew 22:31-32. In other words, Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob were already living with God in death, not waiting for the resurrection. Jesus also has Abraham in heaven in the story of Lazarus and the rich man, Luke 16:19-31, which seems to indicate that Abraham was already with God in his death, not waiting around for the Messiah to die and resurrect.

Nevertheless, we also find in the Scriptures at the time of Jesus’ resurrection, “And the graves were opened; and many bodies of the saints which slept (or were dead) arose, and came out of the graves after His (Jesus’) resurrection, and went into the holy city, and appeared unto many,” Matthew 27:52-53. At the time Jesus arose from the dead, it seems some of the old Prophets whose bodies had been buried in or around Jerusalem came out of their graves and appeared unto the believers.

In Job, we read that even then, 2000 years before Christ, men had the knowledge of the resurrection event. Job confirms, “For I know that my redeemer lives, and that He shall stand at the latter day, upon the earth: and though after my death worms destroy the skin of my body, yet in my (new resurrected) flesh shall I see God: whom I shall see for myself (in my new resurrected body), and my own eyes shall behold, and not another; though my body be consumed by death,” Job 19:25-27. Job had hope that the Messiah would come and restore our relationship with God, so that we could have eternal life and receive our resurrected supernatural bodies, yet maintain our own personality and character.

Isaiah also wrote of the rapture/resurrection event. “Your dead men shall live, together with my dead body shall they arise. Awake and sing, you that dwell in the dust: for the dew is as the dew of herbs, and the earth shall cast out the dead,” Isaiah 26:19. Isaiah seems to be picturing the rapture/resurrection event, where “the earth shall cast out the dead.” Sounds similar to Prophet Daniel’s description in Daniel 12:2, which we read earlier which said, “many of them that sleep in the dust of the earth shall awake.”

Prophet Ezekiel, also, had a prophecy that some scholars believe is referring to the rapture/ resurrection event. “Thus, says the Lord God; Behold, O My people, I will open your graves, and cause you to come up out of your graves, and bring you into the land of Israel, (to rule a 1,000-years with Christ during the Millennium?). And you shall know that I am the Lord, when I have opened your graves, O My people, and brought you up out of your graves, and shall put My Spirit in you, and you shall live, and I shall place you in your own land: then shall you know that I the Lord have spoken it, and performed it, says the Lord,” Ezekiel 37:12-14.

Apostle Paul when writing about the rapture/resurrection event said, “the dead in Christ shall rise first: then we which are alive and remain shall be caught together in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air: and so, shall we ever be with the Lord. Wherefore, comfort one another with these words,” 1 Thessalonians 4:16b-18. He also wrote, “Behold, I show you a mystery; we shall not all sleep (die), but we shall be changed, in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trump: for the trumpet shall sound, and the dead shall be raised incorruptible, and we shall be changed. For this corruptible must put on incorruptible, and this mortal must put on immortality,” 1 Corinthians 15:51-53. Then death shall be swallowed up in victory, the victory of Christ over death! 1 Corinthians 15:54.

“And God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes; and there shall be no more death, neither sorrow, nor crying, neither shall there be any more pain: for the former things are passed away,” Revelation 21:4. “Behold, I make all things new,” Revelation 21:5b. “I am Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the end. I will give unto him that is athirst of the fountain of the water of life freely. He that overcomes shall inherit all things; and I will be his God, and he shall be My son. But the fearful and unbelieving, and the abominable, and murderers, and whoremongers, and sorcerers, and idolater, and all liars, shall have their part in the lake which burns with fire and brimstone: which is the second death,” Revelation 21:6-8.

Have you received Jesus as the Son of the living God? He’s standing at the door of your heart, waiting for you to accept Him into your life. “For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whosoever believes in Him should not perish, but have everlasting life, John 3:16. Call upon Him today. “For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved,” Romans 10:13.

“And, behold, I come quickly; and My reward is with me, to give every man according as his work shall be….Blessed are they that do His commandments, that they may have right to the tree of life, and may enter in through the gates into the city. …Surely I come quickly,” Revelation 22:12,14,20b.

In Matthew 25:31-46, we see the Son of man judging the nations. It seems to be talking about the Great White Throne judgment after the 1,000 year Millennium.

"When the Son of man shall come in his glory, and all the holy angels with him, then shall he sit upon the throne of his glory: And before him shall be gathered all nations: and he shall separate them one from another, as a shepherd divides his sheep from the goats: And he shall set the sheep on his right hand, but the goats on the left. 

"Then shall the King say unto them on his right hand, Come, ye blessed of my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world:  For I was hungry, and ye gave me meat: I was thirsty, and ye gave me drink: I was a stranger, and ye took me in: Naked, and ye clothed me: I was sick, and ye visited me: I was in prison, and ye came unto me. 

"Then shall the righteous answer him, saying, Lord, when saw we thee hungry, and fed thee? or thirsty, and gave thee drink? When saw we thee a stranger, and took thee in? or naked, and clothed thee? Or when saw we thee sick, or in prison, and came unto thee? 

"And the King shall answer and say unto them, Verily I say unto you, Inasmuch, as ye have done it unto one of the least of these my brethren, ye have done it unto me. 

"Then shall he say also unto them on the left hand, Depart from me, ye cursed, into everlasting fire, prepared for the devil and his angels: For I was hungry, and ye gave me no meat: I was thirsty, and ye gave me no drink: I was a stranger, and ye took me not in: naked, and ye clothed me not: sick, and in prison, and ye visited me not. 

"Then shall they also answer him, saying, Lord, when saw we thee hungry, or athirst, or a stranger, or naked, or sick, or in prison, and did not minister unto thee? Then shall he answer them, saying, Verily I say unto you, Inasmuch, as ye did it not to one of the least of these, ye did it not to me. And these shall go away into everlasting punishment: but the righteous into life eternal."

We all have a choice. It’s time to stop halting between two opinions. Elijah challenged the people to decide whom they would serve, God, or Baal. Baal was the demonic god of the Canaanites, to whom they sacrificed their very children in infant sacrifices. They didn’t have abortions and birth control pills at that time. In 1 Kings 18:21, in God’s word, we read, “And the people answered him not a word.” Why didn’t they answer, because they were still desiring to follow Baal. They were still double-minded, and wanted to follow the gods of this world. 

It’s time to make a choice. Do we need fire to come down from heaven and destroy the gods of this world, before we believe in God and follow Him? “And when the people saw it, (the fire from heaven consuming the drenched with water sacrifice), they fell on their faces and said, The Lord, He is the God; the Lord, He is the God,” 1 Kings 18:30. If Jesus is the Son of God, serve Him. If the world is your god, then serve it. “As for me, (and Lord willing), my house, we will serve the Lord,” Joshua 24:15. Amen!