Cecil A. Fayard

Elliott Baptist Church

October 24, 2004

 

The  Final Judgment

Isaiah 5:14-16

Revelation 20:11-15

 

INTRO: The great white throne judgment is the final judgment; it ends God’s resurrection and judgment program.  There will be no more judgment after this for eternity future will come after it.   And we who are saved will live eternally with God the Father, Son, and Holy Ghost.

 

1. No judgment determines heaven or hell.

a. The lost will die in their sins (Jn 8:24).  No purgatory, no limbo.

b. Salvation is determined before death.  I John 5:12, “He that hath the Son hath life...”   John 3:36, 18.

2. The Gospel message is that Jesus died, was buried, and rose again for your salvation.  Trust in Christ and be saved.  

    Rom 10:9, “That if thou shalt confess....”

 

I. TIME OF THE GREAT WHITE THRONE.

 

A. Clearly this judgment takes place after the millennial reign of Christ.

 

B. The fact that their judgment is after the millennium is brought out in Rev 20:5, 12-13.

1. The dead in these verses here speaks of the spiritually dead.

2. The dead, spiritually dead, will not be raise until this time.

3. Believers were dead until they were quickened (Eph 2:1).

 

II. THE GREAT WHITE THRONE ITSELF (Rev 20:11)

 

A. The great white throne symbolizes justice.  J.R. Graves said, “God must be just as well as merciful, or cease to be God in the eyes of His creatures.”

1. Great- the infinite, the alpha and omega, before whom man the creature must stand.  God is:

a. Omnipotent- all powerful, possesses all power.  “All hail the power of Jesus name.”

b. Omniscient- all knowing, God can learn nothing. I Jn 3:20, “God knows all things....”

c. Omnipresent- all seeing, present throughout all creation at the same moment.  You can’t hide from Him.

2. White- purity, the righteousness of God. Truthful & faithful. (Psalm 9:7-8).

3. Throne- thronon, a throne of authority and judgment, a judicial seat, the day of grace and mercy are gone for the lost.  No reward only punishment.

 

B. This is a just judgment where Christ rejecters will get eternal retribution.

1. There will be:

a. No acquittal- an everlasting sentence.

b. No higher court of appeal.  This is the Supreme of Supremes.

c. No mistrial.  Its all in the books.

d. No pardon- doomed forever.  Damned, doomed.

e. No Philadelphia lawyer can get you off, no statesman can legislate you out.

2. Those at this judgment are lost and doomed forever. (Rom 2:5).

 

III. PLACE OF THE JUDGMENT.

 

A. Not heaven or earth— somewhere in between.

B. Rev 20:11.

 

IV. THE SUBJECTS OF THE WHITE THRONE JUDGMENT

 

A. Rev 20:12 says that the subjects are the dead.  These are spiritually dead.

1. Only the dead are mentioned.

2. The resurrection program of the saved was completed before the millennium began.

a. Resurrection at the rapture- I Thes 4:16-18, “The Lord Himself....”

b. Resurrection of tribulation saints- Rev 20:4-5.

 

B. The subjects are Christ rejecters, if not accepted— rejected: small and great, rich and poor, educated and uneducated, noble and scoundrels.  Rev 21:8.

1. Fearful- cowardly, afraid to confess Christ, to identify themselves with Jesus.

2. Unbelievers- atheists, agnostics, lost, unregenerate, etc.

3. Abominable- homosexuals, sex maniacs, rapists.(Lev 18:22; 20:13).

4. Murderers- men who take another’s life and do not repent.

5. Whoremongers- illicit sex before marriage.  We also think of adultery, prostitution, one night stands, etc.

6. Sorcerers- Pharmakos, one who uses drugs, involved in witchcraft.

7. Idolaters- those that believe in false gods— Buddha, Mohammed, etc.

8. Liars- a liar can destroy a reputation faster than anyone.

9. All of these will stand before God along with others (Mt 7:21-23).

 

V. BASIS OF THE JUDGMENT Rev 20:12b

 

A. The books are opened and the dead are judged according to their works.  These books are the records of the works of the lost.

1. This judgment does not determine heaven or hell.  That has already been determined.

2. This judgment determines degrees of punishment (Lk 12:46-48).

 

B. Oliver B. Greene said: "Every person of earth has his life and history recorded in the books of God’s great bookkeeping system.  Every thought, word and deed is recorded.  Nothing is forgotten; nothing is too small to be entered in the records of Almighty God.  Only infants and idiots are accepted.  If a child passes away before he reaches the age of accountability, or if the mind never develops beyond the mind of a child, God’s grace takes care of the innocent.  But for all who know, and who pass into the age of accountability, every act is recorded in the books of heaven.

 

C. Notice that the book of life is opened.

1. On it’s pages the names of the lost are absent.

2. Only the saved have their names in the Lamb’s Book of Life.  If you are saved, rejoice that your name is written (Lk 10:20).

 

D. The lost are judged out of the books according to their works.

 

VI. BODY AND SOUL OF THE LOST RESURRECTED Rev 20:13.

 

A. The sea gives up its dead from ships, Titanic; planes, Glenn Miller, Amelia Earhart; etc.

 

B. Death- the grave will give up its bodies.

 

C. Hell- hades- the compartment of the underworld where the souls of the wicked dead will remain until the resurrection of the wicked. This is in the center of the earth (Rev 9:1).  Hades is like the jail house before the final judgment sends the soul and body to the prison of the lake of fire.

 

VII. THE RESULT OF THIS JUDGMENT.

 

A. Rev 20:14 says: “death and hell [body and soul] are cast into the lake of fire.  This is the second death.”  Born once; die twice.  Born twice; die once.  Ye must be born again.

1. This speaks of eternal separation from God.

2. Notice that this is the second death.  First, there is physical death, then there is spiritual death— eternal separation from God.

3. The fact that hell is eternal is pointed out by comparing Rev 19:20 and 20:10.

 

B. Rev 20:15, In this verse it is pointed out that whosoever was not found written in the book of life was cast into the lake of fire.

1. The lake of fire speaks of liquid fire.

2. In hell, body and soul are tormented forever.  “Where the worm dieth not and the fire is not quenched.”

 

CONCLUSION: Have you been born again?  

Prov 27:1, “Boast not thyself of tomorrow.”

Prov 29:1, “He that being often reproved hardeneth his neck shall suddenly be destroyed....”

James 4:14 “Whereas ye know not what shall be on the morrow...”

 

For additional copies of the sermon CD's, please contact the church office:

Elliott Baptist Church
566 Nat G. Troutt Road
Elliott, Mississippi 38901
Phone: 662-226-4425
Pastors Email: cecilafayard@msn.com