Bible Reading: Revelation 20:11-15
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. 14 Then death and Hades were thrown into the lake of fire. The lake of fire is the second death. 15 Anyone whose name was not found written in the book of life was thrown into the lake of fire.
a. IT HAS OCCURRED
1) SATAN
John 16:11 (Amp.) - " . . . the ruler (prince) of this world (SATAN) IS JUDGED AND CONDEMNED AND SENTENCE IS ALREADY PASSED ON HIM."
Col. 2:15 (Amp.) - "God disarmed the principalities and powers ranged against us and made a bold display and public example of them, in triumphing over them in Him and in it (the cross)."
2) THE WORLD
John 12:31 - "Now is the time for judgement on this world; now the prince of this world will be driven out."
By our Lord’s death and resurrection, He passed sentence on the world and Satan. Satan’s authority has been broken and he is allowed limited activity until his final imprisonment in the lake of fire. The world is a doomed city. God has passed judgement on it in Christ’s cross and it is decreed to end in fire.
3) MAN
John 3:18 - "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."
John 5:24 - "Very truly I tell you, whoever hears my word and believes him who sent me has eternal life and will not be judged but has crossed over from death to life."
JBP - "HE DOES NOT HAVE TO FACE JUDGEMENT"
Rom. 5:9 (Amp.) - "Therefore, since we are now justified - acquitted, made righteous and brought into right relationship with God - by Christ’s blood, how much more (certain is it that) WE SHALL BE SAVED BY HIM FROM THE INDIGNATION AND WRATH OF GOD."
Rom. 8:1 (Amp.) - "Therefore (there is) NOW NO CONDEMNATION - no adjudging guilty of wrong — for those who are IN CHRIST JESUS."
b. IT IS OCCURRING
1) SINNERS
Rom. 1:18-32 - Verse 18 (Amp.) - "For God’s (holy) wrath and indignation ARE REVEALED FROM HEAVEN AGAINST ALL UNGODLINESS and unrighteousness of men, who in their wickedness repress and hinder the truth and make it inoperative."
2) CHRISTIANS
1 Cor. 11:31,32 (Amp.) - "For if we searchingly examined ourselves - detecting our shortcomings and recognizing our own condition - we should not be judged and penalty decreed (by the divine judgement). But when we (fall short and) are JUDGED BY THE LORD, we are disciplined and chastened so that we may not (finally) be condemned (to eternal punishment) with the world."
JBP - "If we were to closely examine ourselves beforehand, we should AVOID THE JUDGEMENT OF GOD. But when GOD DOES JUDGE US, He disciplines us as His own sons, that we may not be involved in the general condemnation of the world."
c. IT WILL OCCUR IN THE FUTURE
1) WHEN?
a. AFTER DEATH
Heb. 9:27 - "Just as people are destined to die once, and after that to face judgement,"
b. THE LAST DAY
John 12:48 - "There is a judge for the one who rejects me and does not accept my words; the very words I have spoken will condemn them at the last day."
c) THE DAY
Matt. 10:15 - "Truly I tell you, it will be more bearable for Sodom and Gomorrah on the day of judgement than for that town." Also: Matt. 11:22,24; 12:36; Acts 17:31; Rom. 2:5; 1 Cor. 3:13; 2 Thess. 1:10; 2 Pet. 2:9; 3:7; 1 John 4:17.
d) AT CHRlST’S COMING
Matt. 25:31 - "When the Son of Man comes in his glory, and all the angels with him, he will sit on his glorious throne."
1 Cor. 4:5 — "Therefore judge nothing before the appointed time; wait until the Lord comes. He will bring to light what is hidden in darkness and will expose the motives of the heart. At that time each will receive their praise from God."
2 Thess. 1:7-10 - "and give relief to you who are troubled, and to us as well. This will happen when the Lord Jesus is revealed from heaven in blazing fire with his powerful angels. 8 He will punish those who do not know God and do not obey the gospel of our Lord Jesus. 9 They will be punished with everlasting destruction and shut out from the presence of the Lord and from the glory of his might 10 on the day he comes to be glorified in his holy people and to be marveled at among all those who have believed. This includes you, because you believed our testimony to you."
2 Tim. 4:1 - "In the presence of God and of Christ Jesus, who will judge the living and the dead, and in view of his appearing and his kingdom, . . ."
Jude 14,15 — "Enoch, the seventh from Adam, prophesied about them: “See, the Lord is coming with thousands upon thousands of his holy ones 15 to judge everyone, and to convict all of them of all the ungodly acts they have committed in their ungodliness, and of all the defiant words ungodly sinners have spoken against him"
2) WHERE?
a) "THE THRONE OF HIS GLORY"
Matt. 25:31-46 - Verse 31 - "When the Son of Man comes in his glory, and all the angels with him, he will sit on his glorious throne."
b) "THE JUDGEMENT SEAT OF CHRIST"
Rom. 14:10 - " . . . For we will all stand before God’s judgment seat."
2 Cor. 5:10 - "For we must all appear before thejudgement seat of Christ. . . "
c) "A GREAT WHITE THRONE"-
Rev. 20:11-15 - "Then I saw a great white throne and him who was seated on it . . the dead were judged . . . "
3) WHAT WILL HAPPEN?
a) SINNERS JUDGED FOR SIN AND CONSIGNED TO PUNISHMENT
Rev. 11:18 - "The nations were angry, and your wrath has come. The time has come for judging the dead, and for rewarding your servants the prophets and your people who revere your name, both great and small— and for destroying those who destroy the earth."
Matt. 25:46 - "Then they will go away to eternal punishment, but the righteous to eternal life."
2 Thess. 1:8-9 - "He will punish those who do not know God and do not obey the gospel of our Lord Jesus. 9 They will be punished with everlasting destruction and shut out from the presence of the Lord and from the glory of his might."
Rev. 20: 15 - "Anyone whose name was not found written in the book of life was thrown into the lake of fire."
b) BELIEVERS JUDGED FOR WORKS AND REWARDED ACCORDINGLY
Rev. 11:18 - "The nations were angry, and your wrath has come. The time has come for judging the dead, and for rewarding your servants the prophets and your people who revere your name, both great and small— and for destroying those who destroy the earth."
Matt. 25:46 - "Then they will go away to eternal punishment, but the righteous to eternal life."
Rom. 14:12 - "So then, each of us will give an account of ourselves to God."
2 Cor. 5: 10 - "For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, so that each of us may receive what is due us for the things done while in the body, whether good or bad."
1 Cor. 4:5 - "Therefore judge nothing before the appointed time; wait until the Lord comes. He will bring to light what is hidden in darkness and will expose the motives of the heart. At that time each will receive their praise from God."
1 Cor. 3:12-15 (Amp.) - "But if anyone builds upon the foundation, whether it be with gold, silver, precious stones, wood, hay, straw, the work of each one will become (plainly, openly) known - SHOWN FOR WHAT IT IS; FOR THE DAY (of Christ) WILL DISCLOSE AND DECLARE IT, BECAUSE IT WILL BE REVEALED WITH FIRE, AND THE FIRE WILL TEST AND CRITICALLY APPRAISE THE CHARACTER AND WORTH OF THE WORK EACH PERSON HAS DONE. If the work which any person has built on this Foundation - any product of his efforts whatever - survives this test, HE WILL GET HIS REWARD. But if any person’s work is burned up (under the test) HE WELL SUFFER THE LOSS (of it all, losing his reward), though he himself will be saved, but only as (one who has passed) through fire."
Study Questions for Lesson No. 17
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