The Great White Throne Judgment
January 15, 2023
Commentary
Satan will be released at the end of the Millennium. He will find plenty of followers (v. 8) and produce a worldwide rebellion against Christ. Those who enter the Millennium in their natural bodies will be saved, but they will have children who themselves will grow up to live unusually long lives having children of their own. All will be required to give outward allegiance to Christ who reigns on the throne, but as in every age, He will not compel them to believe in their hearts. Therefore, many will have never turned to Christ for salvation, despite having made an outward profession. Once Satan returns, they will eagerly follow him into rebellion, revealing the true state of their hearts. A perfect environment with proof of God’s existence is not enough to change man’s heart. Satan’s host will converge on Jerusalem, the capital of Christ’s Kingdom. God will act swiftly, sending fire from heaven to devour them. The devil will be cast into the lake of fire to join the beast and false prophets.
Then comes “Great White Throne Judgment“, the purpose of which is to judge the wicked dead. All the righteous dead (Old Testament Saints, the church, and those slain in the Great Tribulation) have been raised before this time. This throne is located neither in heaven nor on earth but in space, as suggested in verse 11, “earth and heaven fled away; and there was found no place for them.” The judge is Jesus as John 5:22 says the Father has given all judgment into the hands of the Son. The basis for judgment concerns the works of the people (vv. 12-13). The book of life will be opened to show that no name of anyone standing before the throne is written in it. Their crime is rejection of the Savior. Their sentence is to be cast into the lake of fire forever. The death on earth is only temporary. All men will either be resurrected to life eternal or to the lake of fire.
Application
The facts presented in this Scripture are a great motivation for me to carry the gospel to the ends of the earth before it is too late, regardless of the cost.
Revelation 20:7– 15 (NET)
7 Now when the thousand years are finished, Satan will be released from his prison 8 and will go out to deceive the nations at the four corners of the earth, Gog and Magog, to bring them together for the battle. They are as numerous as the grains of sand in the sea. 9 They went up on the broad plain of the earth and encircled the camp of the saints and the beloved city, but fire came down from heaven and devoured them completely. 10 And the devil who deceived them was thrown into the lake of fire and sulfur, where the beast and the false prophet are too, and they will be tormented there day and night forever and ever.
11 Then I saw a large white throne and the one who was seated on it; the earth and the heaven fled from his presence, and no place was found for them. 12 And I saw the dead, the great and the small, standing before the throne. Then books were opened, and another book was opened—the book of life. So the dead were judged by what was written in the books, according to their deeds. 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 one was judged according to his deeds. 14 Then Death and Hades were thrown into the lake of fire. This is the second death—the lake of fire. 15 If anyone’s name was not found written in the book of life, that person was thrown into the lake of fire.