Sermon #1141
Title: THE GREAT WHITE THRONE
Text: Revelation 20:11-15
Subject:
The General Resurrection and General Judgment
Tape: P-97
Date: Tuesday Evening -
Introduction:
I received a
letter yesterday from one of God's saints that expressed a concern and a matter
of much confusion to many. She asked, "Will there be one judgment or two?
Will we be judged first by Christ for our sin and second for our works as
believers?" Tonight I want to answer that dear lady's questions and
hopefully some of your own perplexities with regard to the day
of judgment. May God the Holy Spirit be our Teacher.
The title of my
message is THE GREAT WHITE THRONE. My text is Revelation 20:11-15. Let's read
it together. "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." This is the
throne of judgment before which we all must appear in the last day. It is
called "A Great White Throne", to set forth the power, holiness, and
sovereignty of the One who sits upon it. It is called "great" because
it is the throne of the omnipotent God. It is called "white" because
it is pure, spotless, righteous, and just. Nothing proceeds from this throne
but justice and truth. It is called a "throne" because the Judge who
sits upon it, before whom we all must stand, is the holy, sovereign Lord God.
Proposition: In the last day, when time shall be no more, we
all must appear before the august, great, white throne to be judged of God, to
be judged according to the strict and exact righteousness and justice of the
thrice holy God!
Yet, while the
Word of God constantly warns the wicked of the terror of divine judgment and
the everlasting wrath of God, the day of judgment is
never described as a terror to the believer, or even a thing to be dreaded by
us. Rather, for the believer the day of judgment is
always set forth as a matter of anticipated joy and glory. On this earth God's
saints are constantly misjudged. His servants are maligned and slandered by
reprobate men. But in that last great day, God almighty will vindicate his
people and he will vindicate his servants (I Cor.
4:3-5). I am not dreading that day. I'm looking forward to it! And I do so with
peace. If, as a believer, a sinner saved by God's free and sovereign grace,
through the sin-atoning blood and imputed righteousness of the Lord Jesus
Christ, you understand what the Bible says about that great day, you will look
forward to it too. With those things in mind, let's see what the
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Bible teaches about the great white throne judgment.
Divisions:
I do not claim to
be an expert on prophetic matters. But I do know that there are five things
clearly revealed in the Word of God about things to come. I want to talk to you
now about those five things.
1. The Lord
Jesus Christ is Coming Again.
2. When
Christ Comes Again There Will be a Great General
Resurrection of All Who have Lived upon the Earth.
3. We Must All be Judged by God According to the Record of Our Works.
4. Those Who are Found to be Perfectly Righteous before God Shall
Enter Into Eternal Life and Everlasting Glory with Christ.
5. All Who are Found to be Guilty of Sin Shall be Cast Into the
Lake of Fire, Where They Must Suffer the Unmitigated Wrath of God Forever!
I. First, THE LORD JESUS CHRIST IS COMING AGAIN!
Do not concern
yourself about the signs of the times and those things which men imagine are
indications of the last days. There is very little, if anything, of spiritual
value to be gained by studying all the books ever written on prophetic issues.
They all have to be rewritten as soon as the predicted events have failed to
come to pass! We are never commanded to look for signs of our Lord's coming. We are commanded to be looking for him to come! Get
this one blessed fact fixed in your mind - Jesus Christ, our Lord, our Savior,
the Son of God, is coming again!
A. The Son of God is personally
coming again to this earth.
"And when he
had spoken these things, while they beheld, he was taken up; and a cloud
received him out of their sight. And while they looked stedfastly
toward heaven as he went up, behold, two men stood by them in white apparel; Which also said, Ye men of
That very same
God-man who was born at
...He came once in weakness. He is coming again in power!
...He came once in humiliation. He is coming again in glory!
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...He came once to be despised. He is coming again to be
admired!
...He came once to suffer. He is coming again to conquer!
B. The second coming of Christ will be sudden, unannounced,
unexpected, and climatic.
"The day of
the Lord will come as a thief in the night" (I Thess.
5:2). Our Lord said, "I will come on thee as a thief, and thou shalt not know what hour I will come upon thee" (Rev.
3:3). The Lord does not tell us to look for the tribulation, or the regathering of
NOTE: No man knows the day or hour of our Lord's coming; and
that is best! (Matt. 24:36; Mk. 13:32; Acts 1:7) If we knew the day or hour, we
would become irresponsible and negligent with regard to our daily duties. Do
not seek to know when Christ is coming. Be content with his promise, and wait
for his appearing.
C. Our Lord Jesus may appear at any moment.
"Behold, he cometh!" (Rev. 1:7) Look for him upon the tiptoe of
faith and expectation. All will be taken by surprise except those who are
expecting him to appear. Like those Thessalonians who believed God, we must
constantly "wait for his Son from heaven" (I Thess.
1. Christ
is coming now!
2. Soon he
shall appear.
3. When the
Son of God appears he will bring with him a crown of righteousness, immortality
and life for all who love him and look for his appearing.
"Henceforth there is laid up for me a crown of
righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous judge, shall give me at that day:
and not to me only, but unto all them also that love his appearing."-- 2
Tim 4:8
"Blessed is the man that endureth
temptation: for when he is tried, he shall receive the crown of life, which the
Lord hath promised to them that love him.
-- James 1:12
II. Secondly, WHEN CHRIST COMES, THERE WILL BE A GREAT,
GENERAL RESURRECTION OF ALL WHO HAVE EVER LIVED UPON THE EARTH.
"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." --
"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
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that have done evil, unto the
resurrection of damnation." --
John 5:28-29
I do not offer
any argument or proof for what I am preaching. I am simply declaring to you the
plain facts, as they are revealed in Holy Scripture. Those who rebel against
them, mock them, despise them, or ignore them do so to their own eternal ruin.
But I assure you that the Son of God is coming again; and when he comes there
will be a resurrection of the dead.
A. First, all who have died in faith shall be raised from
the grave.
All will be
raised. But the saints of God will have distinct priority in the resurrection.
"The dead in Christ shall rise first." The bodies of God's saints
shall be raised from their graves and reunited with their souls.
"I would not
have you to be ignorant, brethren, concerning them which are asleep, that ye
sorrow not, even as others which have no hope. For if we believe that Jesus
died and rose again, even so them also which sleep in Jesus
will God bring with him. For this we say unto you by the word of the
Lord, that we which are alive and remain unto the coming of the Lord shall not
prevent them which are asleep. For the Lord himself shall descend from heaven
with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trump of God: and
the dead in Christ shall rise first: Then we which are alive and remain shall
be caught up together with them 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 Th
4:13-18
...All The Old Testament Saints!
...All The Martyrs!
...All Who Sleep in Jesus!
B. Then, immediately after the sleeping saints arise, all
believers living upon the earth shall be changed and caught up to meet the Lord
in the air.
"Behold, I
show you a mystery; We shall not all sleep, but we
shall all 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 incorruption, and
this mortal must put on immortality. So when this corruptible shall have put on
incorruption, and this mortal shall have put on immortality, then
shall be brought to pass the saying that is written, Death is swallowed up in
victory. O death, where is thy sting? O grave, where is thy victory? The sting
of death is sin; and the strength of sin is the law. But thanks be to God, which giveth us the
victory through our Lord Jesus Christ. Therefore, my beloved brethren, be ye stedfast, unmoveable, always
abounding in the work of the Lord, forasmuch as ye know that your labour is not in vain in the Lord." -- 1 Cor
As our Lord
descends in the brilliant glory of his second coming, we shall go out to meet
him and return with him, as he comes with all his saints to burn up the earth,
destroy the wicked, and
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make all things new.....What a day
that will be!
C. Then, after the Son of God has gathered all the ransomed
bodies of his elect from the earth, after he has destroyed all the wicked with
the brightness of his coming, all the wicked shall be raised.
There is a
resurrection for the wicked too. But, for you who believe not, there is no
music in the resurrection. The Lord himself shall issue a summons that you
cannot resist. You will stand in terror before him whose grace you have
despised, against whom you have sinned! Your body and soul now united in sin
shall be united in horror! I have no word of comfort for you who will not bow
to the claims of Christ. If you die without Christ, you die without hope and
without peace! Your resurrection shall be a resurrection of damnation!
III. Thirdly, IMMEDIATELY AFTER THE RESURRECTION, WE MUST
ALL BE JUDGED BY GOD ACCORDING TO THE RECORD OF OUR WORKS.
"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." --
"It is
appointed unto men once to die, but after this the judgment." -- Heb 9:27
A. The Judge before whom we must
stand is the God-man, whom we have crucified!
"For the
Father judgeth no man, but hath committed all
judgment unto the Son:" -- John
"Because he
hath appointed a day, in the which he will judge the
world in righteousness by that man whom he hath ordained; whereof he hath given
assurance unto all men, in that he hath raised him from the dead." -- Acts
"For we must
all appear before the judgment seat of Christ; that every one may receive the
things done in his body, according to that he hath done, whether it be good or
bad." -- 2 Cor
B. We will be judged out of the books, according to the
record of God's strict justice.
When the books
are opened, what shocks of terror will seize the hearts and souls of those who
have no righteousness and no atonement before the holy Lord God! With the
opening of the books, every crime, every offense, every sin you have ever
committed, in mind, in heart, and in deed shall be exposed! "Judgment was
set; and the books were opened!" -- Dan. 7:10
I realize that
this is figurative language. God does not need
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books to remember man's sins.
However, "this judgment out of the books, and according to works, is
designed to show with what accuracy and exactness, with what justice and
equity, it will be executed, in allusion to statute-books in courts of
judicature" (John Gill).
In the Scriptures
God is often represented as writing and keeping books. And according to these
books we all shall be judged. What are the books?
1. The Book
of Divine Omniscience (Mal. 3:5)
2. The Book
of Divine Remembrance (Mal.
3. The Book
of Creation (Rom.
4. The Book
of God's
5. The Book
of Conscience (Rom.
6. The Book
of God's Holy Law (Rom.
This book of the
law has two tables. The first table contains all the sins of men against God
(Ex. 20:3-11). The second table contains all the sins of men against one
another (Ex.
7. The Book
of the Gospel (Rom.
C. But, blessed be God, there are some against whom no
crimes, no sins, no offenses can be found, not even by the omniscient eye of
God himself! ("In those days, and in that time, saith
the LORD, the iniquity of
1. In this book there is a record of Divine Election.
2. In this book there is the name of a Divine Surety.
3. In this book there is a record
of Perfect Righteousness (Jer. 23:6 cf 33:16).
4. In this book there is a record of Complete Satisfaction.
5. In this book there is the promise of Eternal Life.
D. The question is often raised, "Will God judge his
elect for their sins and failures, committed after they were saved, and expose
them in the day of judgment?"
The only reason
that question is ever raised is because many try to retain the Roman doctrine
of purgatory, by which they hope to hold over God's saints the whip and terror
of the law. Child of God, hear me well. There is
absolutely no sense in which you who trust the Lord Jesus Christ shall ever be
made to pay for your sins!
1. Our sins
were imputed to Christ and shall never be imputed to us again (
2. Christ
paid our debt to God's law and justice; and God will never require us to pay.
3. God who
has blotted out our transgressions will never write them again.
4. He who
covered our sins will never uncover them!
5. The
perfect righteousness of Christ has been imputed to us!
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6. On the day of judgment, God's elect are never represented as having
done any evil, but only good (Matt. 25:31-40).
7. The day of judgment will be a day of glory and bliss for Christ
and his people, not a day of mourning and sorrow.
...
It will be A Marriage Supper!
...
Christ will Glory in Church!
...
God will display the Glory of His Grace in Us!
...
We will Glory in our God!
IV. Fourthly, THOSE WHO ARE FOUND PERFECTLY RIGHTEOUS,
RIGHTEOUS ACCORDING TO THE RECORDS OF GOD HIMSELF, SHALL ENTER INTO ETERNAL
LIFE AND INHERIT EVERLASTING GLORY WITH CHRIST.
They that have
done good, nothing but good, perfect good, without any
spot of sin, wrinkle of iniquity, or trace of transgression, shall enter into
everlasting life. It is written, "He that is unjust, let him be unjust
still: and he which is filthy, let him be filthy
still: and he that is righteous, let him be righteous still: and he that is
holy, let him be holy still." --
A. Who are these perfectly righteous ones?
... None by
Nature and None by Works of Their Own!
... All
God's Elect!
... All the
Redeemed!
... All the
Called!
... All the
Justified!
... All Who
Trust the Lord Jesus Christ (Rom. 8:1, 32-34)
B. Though there shall be degrees of punishment for the
wicked in hell because there are degrees of wickedness, there shall be no
degrees of reward and glory among the saints in heaven because there are no
degrees of redemption and righteousness.
1. Heaven was earned and purchased for all God's elect by
Christ.
2. We were predestined to obtained our inheritance from
eternity (Eph.
3. Christ has taken possession of heaven's glory as our
forerunner (Heb.
4. We are heirs of God and joint-heirs with Jesus Christ
(Rom.
5. Our Savior gave all the glory he earned as our Mediator
to all his elect (John 17:5,20).
6. In Christ every believer is worthy of heaven's glory (Col.
1:12).
7. Glorification is but the consummation of salvation; and
salvation is by grace alone! That means no part of heaven's bliss and glory is
the reward of our works, but all the reward of God's free grace in Christ! All
spiritual blessings are ours from eternity in Christ (Eph. 1:3).
V. Fifthly, I must warn you who are yet without Christ, if
you will not trust Christ you must be forever damned! ALL WHO ARE FOUND GUILTY
OF SIN IN THAT GREAT AND TERRIBLE DAY OF JUDGMENT SHALL BE CAST INTO THE
One by one the
Lord God will call you before his throne and judge you. As he says to you, "Depart ye
cursed!" He will say to his
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holy angels, "Take him! Bind
him! Cast him into outer darkness!"
A. There will be no mercy for you!
B. There will be no pity for you!
C. There will be no sorrow for you!
D. There will be no hope for you!
E. There will be no end for you!
To hell you
deserve to go! To hell you must go! To hell you will go! Unless you flee to
Christ and take refuge in him, in that great day the wrath of God shall seize
you and destroy you forever! I beseech you now, by the mercies of God, be
reconciled to God by trusting his darling Son! "Knowing therefore the
terror of the Lord, we persuade men!"
Come to Christ now! ETERNITY IS BEFORE YOU!
1. Behold
his Love (II Cor.
2. Behold
his Atonement (II Cor.
3. Behold
his Grace (II Cor.
Application:
In that great and
terrible day I hope to be found in Christ, not having my own righteousness, but
having his righteousness!
Illustration:
Rowland Hill's Dream