Revelation 20:11-15.
Then I saw a great white throne and him who was seated on it. Earth and sky fled from his presence, and there was no place for them. And I saw the dead, great and small, standing before the throne, and books were opened. Another book was opened, which is the book of life. The dead were judged according to what they had done as recorded in the books. The sea gave up the dead that were in it, and death and Hades gave up the dead that were in them, and each person was judged according to what he had done. Then death and Hades were thrown into the lake of fire. The lake of fire is the second death. If anyone's name was not found written in the book of life, he was thrown into the lake of fire. Thomas Hobbs, the atheist philosopher, last words were: "I say again, if I had the whole world at my disposal, I would give it to live one day. I am about to take a leap into the dark" and Caesar Borgia last words were: "While I lived, I provided for everything but death; now I must die, and am unprepared to die." Of course we have all heard or read about Thomas Paine, the noted author and infidel who penned The Age of Reason which attempts to discredit Sacred Scriptures as being God inspired. During the end of his life he soberly regretted writing the Age of Reason and cried out in utter despair to those around him, "Stay with me, for God's sake; Send even a child to stay with me for it is hell to be left alone. As I pondered death and the judgment that is to come, I thought about a particular terminally ill patient I was providing spiritual care to (some time ago) who shared with me how she, in younger years, had scoffed at death and laughed at the notion of a God. But, during the closing hours of her life her attitude toward death and God had changed dramatically. Now, as the organs in her frail body began to shut down, she desired hope and reassurance; she wanted to hear of the promises of God. She repented of her sins. One of these days we are going to die and according to Scripture after death judgment. John gives us a glimpse of what is to come. He says he saw a great white throne and Him who sat on it. He saw Him whose divine majesty shall shine resplendent. What a sight it must have been for John. He who had leaned his head upon Christ's bosom now sees that same Master sitting upon the throne of universal judgment. All the unbelievers of all time will be here assembled to face the judgment bar of God's perfect justice. They will appear from all classes and groups of humanity. Jesus Christ will be the Judge but there will be no jury. Jesus Christ will be the prosecutor but there will be no defense attorney. Jesus Christ will mete out the sentence but there will be no appeal. Christ will judge the unbelieving world with absolute justice. Nothing will be missed or overlooked as unsaved people from throughout history appear before Christ in the final judgment of the ages. Think about it. |
