AFTER THE MILLENNIUM Revelation 20:10-15 - … THE MILLENNIUM Revelation 20:10-15 Introduction: Last...

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AFTER THE MILLENNIUM Revelation 20:10-15

Introduction:

Last week we looked briefly at the Millennium, the one thousand year reign of Christ on this Earth and learned that it will be the most wonderful period of human history. A time of world peace, prosperity, and happiness under the absolute and loving rule of King Jesus, a time in which Satan will be imprisoned and will have no influence over human affairs. We also learned that it will end when Satan is released and will lead a final rebellion against Christ’s lordship proving once for all that we are fun-damentally evil and rebellious. At that point, Jesus will finally stop mankind’s oppor-tunity to rebel against Him.

This morning, we are going to discuss what happens after the Millennium ends with Jesus raining down fire on a defiant mankind.

Revelation 20:7-15 concerns the completion and end of many things:

The end of the Millennium—the thousand years of peace and prosperity under Christ’s benign but absolute rule comes to an end.

The end of Satan’s imprisonment—Satan has been incarcerated and unable to in-fluence the events on Earth for a thousand years; now he is being released.

The end of many people’s enforced submission to and worship of Christ.

The end of Satan’s role as instigator and leader of the opposition against God with his condemnation to an eternity in the Lake of Fire along with all the rebellious an-gels where they join the Antichrist and False Prophet.

The end of this present creation with the destruction of the entire physical universe.

The end of men’s willful rebellion against God at the Great White Throne Judgment and their final condemnation to the Lake of Fire.

Revelation 20, verse 10 says:

And the devil, who deceived them, was thrown into the lake of burning sul-

fur, where the beast and the false prophet had been thrown. They will be tor-

mented day and night for ever and ever. (Rev. 20:10)1

V. 10

the devil, who deceived them was thrown into the lake of burning sulfur

This is Hell, the final abode of the rebellious.

1 Unless otherwise marked, all Scripture quotations are from the 2011 NIV.


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Hell was created by God, not for people, but specifically to be the final destination of the rebellious angels.

o Jesus called it “the eternal fire prepared for the devil and his angels” (Mt. 25:41 NIV).

The English word “hell” in our Bibles is used to translate several different words in Hebrew and Greek

o Which do not mean the same thing. o This causes confusion. o Some terms refer to the temporary place people go to when they die. o Other terms refer to the final place of eternal torment and suffering.

Biblical terms translated “Hell” in English:

1. Sheol (Hebrew )שאול)

a. This Old Testament word has been inconsistently translated in many English

Bible versions as:

o “hell” (e.g., Ps. 16:10 in KJV) o “the grave” (e.g., Gen. 37:35 in KJV, NKJV, and NIV) o “the pit” (e.g., Num. 16:30 in KJV, NKJV) o “Sheol” (e.g., Job 26:6 in ESV, NKJV, and NASB; NASB usually renders it

“Sheol”). o Sometimes it is translated by “grave” or something else and footnoted to

be “Sheol” (e.g., Job 26:6 in NIV).

b. Sheol is the place of the dead.

o It is the place where everyone went who died before the crucifixion and resurrection of Christ.

o It is the residence of both the good (e.g., Ps. 49:15) and the wicked (e.g., Job 24:19).

2. Hades (Greek άδης)2

a. This New Testament word means essentially the same as the Hebrew Sheol.

2 Note on 1 Co. 15:55—The KJV and NKJV use a Greek text

2 that has the word Hades; the KJV translates it

“grave,” and the NKJV translates it Hades. But the Greek manuscripts used by all other modern translations

have the word thanatos (θάνατος) instead of Hades; it means “death.”


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b. New Testament uses:

(1) In the Gospels, it is used four times—all by the Lord (Mt. 11:23; 16:18; Lk. 10:15; 16:23)

(2) In Acts, it is used twice, with reference to Christ not being abandoned

there (Ac. 2:27, 31)

(3) In Revelation, it is used four times:

o Rev. 1:18—Christ says He has the keys to it. o Rev. 6:8—It is personified as the temporary abode of the doomed

during the Tribulation. o Rev. 20:13—It gives up the dead who are in it to face God’s judg-

ment. o Rev. 20:14—Its occupants are cast into the Lake of Fire.

c. Neither Sheol nor Hades should be translated as “hell” or as “the grave.” They refer not to the eternal destination of anyone, but rather to the tempo-rary residence of those who died (both believers and unbelievers) before the ascension of Christ.

d. In Lk. 16:19-31, Jesus’ parable of Lazarus and the rich man illustrates this

biblical picture of Hades.

19 “There was a rich man who was dressed in purple and fine linen and lived in

luxury every day. 20 At his gate was laid a beggar named Lazarus, covered with

sores 21 and longing to eat what fell from the rich man’s table. Even the dogs

came and licked his sores. 22 “The time came when the beggar died and the angels carried him to Abraham’s

side. The rich man also died and was buried. 23 In Hades, where he was in

torment, he looked up and saw Abraham far away, with Lazarus by his

side. 24 So he called to him, ‘Father Abraham, have pity on me and send Laza-

rus to dip the tip of his finger in water and cool my tongue, because I am in ag-

ony in this fire.’ 25 “But Abraham replied, ‘Son, remember that in your lifetime you received your

good things, while Lazarus received bad things, but now he is comforted here

and you are in agony. 26 And besides all this, between us and you a great chasm

has been set in place, so that those who want to go from here to you cannot,

nor can anyone cross over from there to us.’


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27 “He answered, ‘Then I beg you, father, send Lazarus to my family, 28 for I

have five brothers. Let him warn them, so that they will not also come to this

place of torment.’ 29 “Abraham replied, ‘They have Moses and the Prophets; let them listen to

them.’ 30 “‘No, father Abraham,’ he said, ‘but if someone from the dead goes to them,

they will repent.’ 31 “He said to him, ‘If they do not listen to Moses and the Prophets, they will

not be convinced even if someone rises from the dead.’” (NIV)

Although the language of this parable is highly figurative, we may legitimately conclude several things about Hades:

(1) The believers in Hades are comforted and in conscious joy (vv. 22-24). (2) The rebellious in Hades are in conscious torment and remorse (vv. 23-

25, 27-28). (3) Hades has two parts, a place of comfort (called Paradise) and a place

of torment, and there is no movement between the two (v. 26). (4) The fates of the two groups are irreversible (v. 26). (5) The only way to be delivered from this ultimate fate is through the

teachings of Scripture (vv. 29-31).

e. When Christ was crucified, an amazing change occurred in Sheol/Hades.

(1) Many of us (including Pastor Jeremiah) believe that when Jesus died, He went to Sheol/Hades (Lk. 23:43) and preached the Gospel to the people there (1 Pe. 3:18-20).

(2) And when He rose and ascended to Heaven, He took the good part of Sheol/Hades (Jesus called this “Paradise” when He spoke to the thief on the cross) with Him to Heaven (Eph. 4:8-10) where it is today (2 Co. 5:8–to be absent from the body is to be present with the Lord).

(3) Today when people die, unbelievers go the old Sheol/Hades to join the others there, and believers go to be with the Lord in Paradise in Heaven.

3. Abaddon (Hebrew אבדון)

a. This Old Testament word literally means “destruction” or “place of destruc-

tion,” but it symbolically came to refer to Sheol (e.g., Job 26:6; Ps. 88:11).

b. In the New Testament, this word is used as the name of the angel of the Abyss (probably Satan himself) who sent out the stinging locust-like things that tormented those with the mark of the Beast as part of the Fifth Trumpet

Judgment. The name is also given in Greek as Apollyon (Απολλύων) (Rev.

9:11).


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4. Tartarus (Greek Ταρταρόω)

a. This New Testament word is the classical Greek word for the place of eternal

punishment, but in 2 Pe. 2:4 (the only time it is used in the Bible), it refers to the place where the fallen angels were imprisoned awaiting their final judg-ment.

b. This is usually translated “Hell” in most English versions, but Tartarus is not

the Lake of Fire which is the demons’ final destination. c. Tartarus is probably the same as the Abyss of the Book of Revelation (see

below).

5. Lake of Fire (Greek )

a. In the Book of Revelation, Hell is called the Lake of Fire (of fire and burning sulfur).

b. This is what the word “Hell” really refers to; for clarity, I would like to see us

restrict the use of the English word “Hell” to this place.

c. It is called “the second death” (Rev. 20:14). d. This will be the place of the final destiny of:

o The Anti-Christ and the False Prophet (Rev. 19:20; 20: 10) o Satan, himself (Rev. 20:10) o The fallen angels, who, by implication, will accompany Satan into his final

condemnation (Rev. 12:9). o All the people who gave their allegiance to Satan rather than to God (Rev.

20:15).

6. Gehenna (Greek γέενα)

a. This word originally came from the Hebrew name of the Valley of the sons of

Hinnom (Jos. 15:8), a ravine just southwest of Jerusalem.

b. In Old Testament times, during the reigns of Ahaz and Manasseh (2 Ki. 16:3; 21:6), it was the site of idolatrous human sacrifices; this was one of the plac-es which were destroyed by King Josiah in his reforms of the evils done by his forebears (2 Ki. 23:10). Since that time, it had come to symbolize the place of the definitive punishment of the wicked.3

3 Chilton, Bruce D., sv. “Rabbinic Literature: Targumim,” in Dictionary of New Testament Background, Craig

A. Evans and Stanley E. Porter, eds., Downers Grove, IL: 2000, p. 907.


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c. In New Testament times, this ravine had become the city dump, and it

burned and smoldered continuously.

d. Jesus used this term for “Hell”+ several times:

o Mt. 5:22, 29, 30—it is a place of fiery judgment. o Mt. 5:29-30–it is a place where the disobedient go bodily. o Mt. 10:28 (= Lk. 12:4-5)—it is a place of ultimate destruction or damnation

or loss. o Mt. 23:15—Jesus called the Pharisees “sons of Gehenna.” o Mt. 23:33—It is a place of damnation. o Mk. 9:42-48 (= Mt. 18:6-9)—it is a place of eternal, fiery judgment.

e. Gehenna, then, refers to the lake of fire.

Biblical description of Hell.

o Hell is an unquenchable fire (Mt. 3:12; 5:22; 18:9; Mk. 9:43, 48). o Hell is the place of the damned (Mt. 23:33). o Hell is a fiery furnace (Mt. 13:42, 50). o Hell is like darkness outside (Mt. 8:12; 22:13; 25:30). o Hell is final rejection by God (Mt. 8:12; 22:13; 25:41). o Hell is being cut off from the presence and favor of God (2 Th. 1:9); it is the loss

of everything good. o Hell will bring despair and remorse (Mt. 8:12; 13:42, 50; 22:13; 25:30). o Hell is a place of no rest (Isa. 48:22; 57:21; Rev. 14:11) o Hell is a place of torment (Rev. 14:10-11). o Hell is a place of punishment (2 Th. 1:9). o Hell is a place of burning sulfur (Ps. 11:6; Rev. 14:10; 19:20; 20:10; 21:8). o Hell is eternal (Mt. 3:12; 25:46; Mk. 9:43, 48; 2 Th. 1:9; Rev. 14:11).

Degrees of punishment—the Bible teaches that in Hell there will be different de-grees of suffering.

o Mt. 11:20-24—Jesus said that it will be worse in Hell for the people of Korazin

and Bethsaida than for the people of Tyre and Sidon, and it will be worse in Hell for the people of Capernaum than for the people of Sodom. - The people of Korazin and Bethsaida and Capernaum saw the miracles of

Christ and rejected Him as their Messiah. - The people of Tyre and Sidon and even of evil Sodom never had that

chance. o Lk. 10: 10-12—Jesus said that the people who rejected the disciples and their

message will suffer more in hell than those who did not get the chance to hear. o Lk. 12:47-48—In Jesus’ parable about what it means to be a faithful servant who

is ready for his master’s surprise return, the servant who knows what his master


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wants and doesn’t do it will be punished more than the servant who does not know. Those given more information will be judged by a higher standard and punished more severely.

o Mk. 12:38-40—Hypocritical teachers of the law will be punished most severely. o Ro. 2:12—Sinners who have the Scripture will be condemned by the Scripture;

sinners who do not have the Scripture will be condemned without it. o Everyone not trusting in Christ will be condemned to Hell, but each one will be

judged and sentenced on the basis of how well they acted on the light of what-ever knowledge they had.

Today, Hell, the Lake of Fire, stands empty and ready to receive Satan and his fol-lowers, but no one is there yet; it is the FINAL place of those who have rejected God and rejected His provision of salvation through His Son.

The first residents of Hell will be the Anti-Christ and his False Prophet; they will be cast into Hell at the time of the second coming, when the Lord returns at the end of the Tribulation Period to set up the Millennium (Rev. 19:20).

Next, a thousand years later, Satan will join them in the Lake of Fire (Rev. 20:10) along with all his demons.

Then, after the Great White Throne Judgment, everyone whose name is not written in the Lamb’s Book of Life will join the one they followed in life into the Lake of Fire (Rev. 20:15).

Tormented (Back Rev. 20:10)

The Lake of Fire will be torment; its suffering is not merely physical, but affecting all creaturely aspects—mind, emotions, and body.

Although Scripture says that people will be tormented in Hell and that this torment will be in the presence of Jesus and the holy angels (Rev. 14:10), it does not say that God will be tormenting them.

This suffering stems from the loss of everything good that God has provided for us and the knowledge that it is due to one’s own willful choices. It is the torment of ab-solute despair, loneliness, self-condemnation, as well as physical pain.

Even in this life, unbelievers and the most evil of people still enjoy the blessings of God’s goodness. Food tastes good to them, they find pleasure and enjoyment. They have minds that work logically, and they experience an environment that is relatively predictable.

We call these things God’s providence.

But in Hell, God’s providence will be lost; nothing good will remain. All that will be left for them is suffering, pain, and the overwhelming loss of everything good.


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Day and night

That suffering and torment and loss will be without pause or relief.

For ever and ever

And it will last for eternity.

How can God allow this to happen to people forever?

o God created us to live eternally. o If someone chooses not to live with God, they still live eternally.

Salvation is not possible after death and condemnation to Hell.

The individual choices of free people to rebel against God will be permanently and eternally ratified by God Himself.

Vv. 11-13—The Great White Throne Judgment 11 Then I saw a great white throne and him who was seated on it. The earth

and the heavens fled from his presence, and there was no place for them. 12 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. 13 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 they had

done. V. 11

Great White Throne

This is God’s throne in Heaven (Rev. 4:2)

There are two Greek word’s we translate “throne” in the New Testament: thronos and bema.

o Thronos (θρόνος) = throne or seat of authority; it is used of:

- God’s throne (Matt. 23:22; Heb. 12:2; Rev. 4:1-3). - The Elders’ thrones in the heavenly throne room (Rev. 4:4; 11:16). - Christ’s throne in the Millennium (Matt. 19:28a). - The Apostles’ thrones in the Millennium (Matt. 19:28b).


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- David’s throne (Acts 2:30). - Anti-Christ’s throne (Rev. 13:2; 16:10).

o Bema (βήμα) = judgment seat; it is used of:

- Pilate’s judgment seat (Matt. 27:19) - The “throne” of King Herod Agrippa I (Acts 13:21-23) - Most importantly, for the judgment seat of Christ (Rom. 14:10; 2 Cor. 5:10)

where all believers’ works will be evaluated for reward (or the lack there of!). We will stand before the bema prior to the beginning of the Millennium.

The “throne” of the Great White Throne Judgment is not the Bema where the be-lievers’ obedience will be evaluated and rewarded by Christ.

This is not just any thronos; this is the Great White thronos from which the condem-nation of all unbelievers will be pronounced and their sentences declared.

Important Note:

o The judgment here is not concerned with the unbelievers’ guilt or innocence. o That decision has already been made: all persons who have not taken ad-

vantage of the salvation offered by Christ stand condemned already.

Whoever believes in him is not condemned, but whoever does not believe

stands condemned already because they have not believed in the name

of God’s one and only Son. (Jn. 3:18 NIV).

o With different degrees of punishment in Hell, what is to be determined at the

Great White Throne Judgment is what people have done with the truth they pos-sessed.

o Did they act on obedience and submission to what they knew? This will deter-mine their punishment.

o This is where their sentence will be pronounced.

Him Who was seated on it

The throne:

o In Rev. 4:2-3, God’s throne in Heaven was described as being surrounded by a glittering rainbow. Since the great flood of Noah, the rainbow has signified grace in the midst of judgment.

o But there is no rainbow around the throne on this day. It is now too late for grace; grace is now over, and all there is now is justice.


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Who is seated on the throne and judging?

o Jesus’ parable of the sheep and the goats in Mt. 25: 31-46 is instructive here. I believe what we have in this parable are two separate judgments at two different times:

31 “When the Son of Man comes in his glory, and all the angels with him, he will

sit on his glorious throne. 32 All the nations will be gathered before him, and he

will separate the people one from another as a shepherd separates the sheep

from the goats. 33 He will put the sheep on his right and the goats on his left.

34 “Then the King will say to those on his right, ‘Come, you who are blessed by

my Father; take your inheritance, the kingdom prepared for you since the crea-

tion of the world. (Mt. 25:31-34 NIV)

1. Vv. 31-40—The King deals with the sheep who are called “the righteous.” - “The righteous” = the believers, for only believers are made righteous in

Christ (Ro. 4:4, 6; 2 Co. 5:21). - This is the Bema judgment of the righteous. - This occurs first, by the time of the Wedding Supper of the Lamb, which

comes before the Second Coming (Rev. 19:14). - Eternal destiny is not the question here, only the rewards and work as-

signments for the future of those who have trusted Christ.

2. Vv. 41-46—The King deals with the goats who are described as disobedient to the Kings wishes.

41 “Then he will say to those on his left, ‘Depart from me, you who are cursed,

into the eternal fire prepared for the devil and his angels. (Mt. 25: 41 NIV)

- This is the Great White Throne Judgment. - This judgment does concern eternal destiny and this is the determination

of how obedient the believers were in life. - This also describes the rebellious being be cast into eternal punishment

in Hell.

3. Jesus Christ is the judge in both judgments, at bema seat and at the Great White Throne Judgment.

- It was the Father’s idea to appoint the Son to be the judge of all persons (Jn. 5:22-23; Acts 10:42).

- Jesus not only sacrificed Himself to save all who would believe, it is He who will judge and condemn those who refuse to believe (Ro. 8:34).

- 2 Tim. 4:1—It is Jesus Who will judge the living and the dead. - Jesus is the judge seated on the throne.


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Earth and the heavens

“Heaven”—Greek ουρανός (ouranós) = occurs 54 times in Revelation and is usually

translated “heaven(s).”

This phrase, “earth and heaven(s),” means the totality of the entire physical crea-tion, i.e., the whole universe. There is no single word in Greek for “universe.” If a Greek speaker wanted to refer to the entire universe, he would use the phrase “heavens and earth.”

Fled from His presence and there was no place for them

What will happen to the created universe at this time?

o Some believe that the Earth will not actually be destroyed, but rather it is to be

stripped bare and refurbished or purified to become the New Earth. This is based on 2 Pet. 3:10 and the phrase “laid bare.”

10 But the day of the Lord will come like a thief. The heavens will disappear

with a roar; the elements will be destroyed by fire, and the earth and every-

thing done in it will be laid bare. 11 Since everything will be destroyed in this way, what kind of people ought you

to be? You ought to live holy and godly lives. 2 Pet. 3:10-11 (NIV)

- This passage seems to describe a terrible, roaring destruction of the heavens in which their most fundamental particles are destroyed by fire.

- The phrase “laid bare” is uncertain; some of the oldest manuscripts read “laid bare” and some read “burned up.” Therefore, one cannot take a position based on this one passage, because we are not sure which word Peter actu-ally used.

o The preponderance of biblical evidence, however, strongly suggests an actual

destruction or annihilation of this universe and the creation of a new universe. - Even 2 Pet. 3:11 says that they will be destroyed. - Matt. 24:35—Jesus says that heaven and earth will pass away. - Heb. 1:10-12—Quoting Ps. 102:25-26, the writer says they will perish and

they will be changed like we change a shirt, taking off the old worn out shirt and putting on a new shirt.

- Heb. 12:26-29—The writer explains that the created universe will be re-moved and states that our God is a consuming fire.


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- 2 Pet. 3:7—Peter reminds us that the present world was not to be destroyed again by a flood but is to be reserved for the final destruction which is to be by fire.

o Rev. 21 describes the New Heaven and New Earth which will replace the pre-

sent universe. It begins by saying: Then I saw “a new heaven and a new

earth, for the first heaven and the first earth had passed away . . . (Rev 21:1a NIV).

- What does “new” mean? - There are two words in Greek we translate with the English word “new”:

Néοs (νέος) = new in the sense of new in time; i.e., young or recent (e.g., a new baby).

Kainós (καινóς) = new in the sense of quality (e.g., a new kind of some-thing). It can carry the sense of “unused”; e.g., Jn. 19:41—Jesus’ body was

laid in a “new” kainós (καινóς) tomb. It can carry the sense of “unknown” or “marvelous”; e.g., Rev. 2:17—

Jesus says He is going to give the overcomers a “new” name that no one knows but Him.

It can mean new in the sense of “new in contrast to something old”; e.g., Heb. 8:8-9 the New Covenant that is not like the Old Covenant.4

- In Rev. 21:1, the word for “new” is Kainós (καινóς), so the New Heaven and the New Earth cannot be a refurbished or purified universe.

- The New Heaven and New Earth (= New Universe) will be entirely new. - Some teachers object that the destruction of the universe would mean that

Satan would have won and God would have been forced to give up on His first creation and start all over. But to conclude this you must believe that God intended the first creation

to last for eternity and that all His effort to save it was in reaction to Sa-tan’s attack on His plans.

However, our God was not surprised by Satan’s rebellion, nor has He been struggling throughout time to rescue His plan from Satan’s possibly successful attack.

Satan’s role was fully understood and incorporated by God before He ev-er began to create—even before He created the angels and Satan him-self.

Jesus’ death on the cross was not required by the failure of Plan A. There is no Plan B. This is all Plan A.

I do not believe that God ever intended the original creation to be our ul-timate home.

4 Note, the writer also uses the word néοs (νέος) in referring to the new covenant (Heb. 12:24) in the sense

that it is new because the New néοs (νέος) Covenant that Christ established on the cross (Luke 22:20) was nearly 1500 years newer than the Old (Mosaic) Covenant).


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This world was intended to be the trial period and the basic training to prepare us for the roles He has planned for us in the future.

This was required to create free AND obedient people made in the likeness of Christ.

- So when the uses for which God had originally designed this present creation are completed, He takes it off like a garment, throws it away, and puts on a new garment—the New Heaven and New Earth.

Rev. 20:11 dramatically describes the destruction of the present created universe by saying that they (i.e., the present Heaven and Earth) fled before the face of God and no place was found for them (i.e., they ceased to exist).

Some commentators in the past have thought this might refer to the destruction of our world by atomic bombs, but this is no human-caused holocaust.

This is the unmaking of everything that God called into existence in the beginning with a word (Gen. 1) and holds in existence by the power of His will (Col. 1:16-17).

This will involve almost infinite amounts of energy, and the biblical writers struggle to imagine what God has revealed to them will happen when it is destroyed. A vast, consuming fire is all they can think of, and that is very appropriate.

V. 12

And I saw the dead, great and small

Who are these dead?

o Everyone who has ever lived (except believers) o All those from the most important and influential (in men’s eyes) to the least sig-

nificant who chose to disbelieve in God

Standing before the throne

At this point, the “second resurrection” has occurred (v. 5a), and all these have now been fitted with bodies prepared to endure the eternity that awaits them. In Hell, they will neither die nor be consumed.

There is no reason to assume that their resurrection bodies are like the believers’ resurrection bodies; the two separate groups are facing two very different eternities (Matt. 25:46), so each needs different bodies.

Books were opened


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These are the books in which are recorded every word, thought, and deed of each person who has ever lived.

o Our records are in there, too–all the sins we have committed,

- but God has stamped over them: PAID IN FULL. - That is what it means to be justified; we are declared not guilty.

o We must not think that for us our sins will be wiped away, and it will be as

though we had never sinned. We will never return to innocence. What we have done, we have done. Nothing will take away the death of Christ on the cross or the blood-red of our sins that caused Him to sacrifice Himself.

o But God treats us as though we were white as snow and without sin (Isa. 1:18),

because He sees us in Christ’s righteousness. (Ps. 32:1-2; Rom. 4:6-7). That is what is so amazing about grace.

Another book was opened, which is the book of life

The book of life contains the name of every individual who has put his or her trust in Christ. (See notes on Rev. 17:8)

But none of the dead standing at the Great White Throne Judgment are in this book, so they must be judged entirely out of the other books—the books that record what they have done.

The dead were judged according to what they had done as recorded in the books

This is perfect justice; it does not depend on what people say they did or even what witnesses say they did. God’s justice will be based on what each one has actually thought, said, and done.

Neither will people be judged because of what others have done; no one will be guilty by association.

Those who have been given the truth of Scripture will be judged based on what they have done with that truth, and those who have not heard the truth of Scripture will be judged on the basis of what they have done with what they did understand (Rom. 2:12-16).

But everyone is a guilty sinner (Ro. 3:23), and none of these standing at the Great White Throne Judgment will have turned to Christ.

o Those who had to truth of Scripture, rejected it. o Those who only had what they could learn of God from the natural creation (Ps.

19:1-4), refused to live according to what they knew to be true (Ro. 1:18-20 ff).


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o All these stand guilty and without defense. o Although Christ’s death was adequate to cover their sins, too (1 Jn. 2:2), they

chose not to avail themselves of it. o Now, everything they have ever done, every thought, every word (Mt. 12:36-37),

every act, will be exposed before God, the angels, and everyone who has ever lived (Lk. 12:2-3; Heb. 4:13). This will be a great spectacle that will be accom-plished publicly and to God’s great glory.

V. 13

The sea gave up the dead which were in it and death and Hades gave up the

dead which were in them

The souls of the unbelieving dead come from Sheol/Hades where they have been awaiting this judgment, and their bodies come from all over, even those who were buried or lost at sea.

Where do people go when they die?

o See the “Destiny Flow Chart.”

Each person was judged according to what they had done. The dead were

judged according to what they had done as recorded in the books.


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This is individual judgment of each individual person to determine where in Hell they will spend eternity, and

It all will depend on what they have done in life. V. 14

Death and Hades were thrown into the lake of fire

Everyone who had died and was in Sheol/Hades will be condemned to the Lake of Fire.

The Lake of Fire is the eternal Hell where people will suffer for eternity for what they have done with the truth they received.

The lake of fire is the second death

The first death is physical death; everyone, both believers and unbelievers, will ex-perience the first death. Even Jesus experienced it.

The second death, however, cannot not touch the believer (Rev. 2:11; 20:6).

The second death is the Lake of Fire. It is eternal death. V. 15

Anyone not written in the book of life was thrown into the lake of fire

What is the Book of Life?

o Rev. 13:8 and 21:27 call it “the Lamb’s Book of Life.” It belongs to Jesus.

o It is a list of all those who have trusted in Him. It is Jesus’ book because it lists all those He redeemed with his own death on the cross.

Anyone not in the book of life has rejected what they knew of Him and thereby left the Lake of Fire as their only alternative.

The Lake of Fire is the ultimate destiny of all who rebel against God.

The only way to avoid the Lake of Fire is to have your name written in the Book of Life.


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The only way to have your name written in the Book of Life is to trust Jesus’ sacri-fice on the cross as the payment for your sin and trust Him with your life, i.e., the only way to get your name in the book is by faith.

At the Great White Throne Judgment, perfect justice will be done. No one will get away with anything.

All sins will be paid for. o Either a person will allow Jesus to pay for their sins o Or they will pay for them themselves.

CONCLUSION:

The Purpose of the Book of Revelation is to warn us and to encourage us about the future even when really bad things begin to happen.

God is sovereign; He is in control.

As Peter wrote:

“Since everything will be destroyed in this way, what kind of people ought you

to be? You ought to live holy and godly lives.” (2 Pet. 3:10-11 NIV)

Be sure you belong to Christ so you will not have to stand before Him at the Great White Throne Judgment. If you are concerned about this, come talk to me.

AFTER THE MILLENNIUM Revelation 20:10-15 - … THE MILLENNIUM Revelation 20:10-15 Introduction: Last...

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