The Great White Throne of Judgment
In the Bible’s book of Revelation, the Apostle John is given visions that explain what will take place in the future. One of the visions John receives is recorded in Revelation 20 and concerns a judgment that will take place after Christ’s second coming.
After Jesus returns, the devil is imprisoned for 1,000 years, and during that time Christ will rule as king upon the earth (a time that is often referred to as the millennial reign of Christ; cf. Revelation 20:1-6). Once the 1,000 years are completed, Satan is released, the last human rebellion against God is crushed, and Satan is consigned forever to what the Bible calls the lake of fire (Revelation 20:7-10).
The Bible describes what happens next: “Then I saw a great white throne and him who was seated on it. From his presence earth and sky fled away, and no place was found for them. And I saw the dead, great and small, standing before the throne, and books were opened. Then another book was opened, which is the book of life. And the dead were judged by what was written in the books, according to what they had done. And the sea gave up the dead who were in it, Death and Hades gave up the dead who were in them, and they were judged, each one of them, according to what they had done. Then Death and Hades were thrown into the lake of fire. This is the second death, the lake of fire. And if anyone’s name was not found written in the book of life, he was thrown into the lake of fire” (Revelation 20:11-15).
This event is often referred to as the Great White Throne Judgment. Revelation pictures Jesus as the judge over all the living and the dead, a role He predicted during His earthly ministry: “The Father judges no one, but has given all judgment to the Son” (John 5:22). It is the final judgment of God upon humankind. After this event, there will never again need to be a trial, and God will never again need to act as judge.
The Prophet Daniel also wrote of this time in a vision he was given hundreds of years earlier: “As I looked, thrones were placed, and the Ancient of Days took his seat; his clothing was white as snow, and the hair of his head like pure wool; his throne was fiery flames; its wheels were burning fire. A stream of fire issued and came out from before him; a thousand thousands served him, and ten thousand times ten thousand stood before him; the court sat in judgment, and the books were opened” (Daniel 7:9-10).
No one knows for certain what is contained in the books mentioned in Daniel and Revelation. Many theologians speculate that they contain a record of sins committed in this life, and the resulting debt owed by each person to those they have wronged, including God, the ultimate target of all sin.
In the first century, every criminal who was crucified had a piece of paper detailing his crimes nailed to the cross above his head. Those who were imprisoned often had a list of their crimes posted outside their cell so all would know what they were guilty of. For these reasons, Bible commentators feel the books at the Great White Throne Judgment are records of every person’s “spiritual crimes” against other people and God.
More is known about the book of life that is mentioned. According to Scripture, the book of life contains the names of all who have trusted in God for their salvation and have been saved from God’s judgment. Paul mentions the book of life in one of his epistles: “Yes, I ask you also, true companion, help these . . . whose names are in the book of life” (Philippians 4:3).
The Bible makes it clear that no person will spend eternity with God based on his works and that it is only faith in Christ that saves a person (Ephesians 2:8-9), John records that those whose names are not found in the book of life (i.e., those outside of Christ) are consigned to the lake of fire based on their deeds (Revelation 20:13, 15). Our works cannot save us, but they may condemn us.
Believers in Christ escape the Great White Throne Judgment because their debts and transgressions have been paid for by Christ, a fact that Paul mentions: “And you, who were dead in your trespasses and the uncircumcision of your flesh, God made alive together with him, having forgiven us all our trespasses, by canceling the record of debt that stood against us with its legal demands. This he set aside, nailing it to the cross” (Colossians 2:13-14).
In the end, the Great White Throne Judgment underscores the fact that God’s justice will be done and that, outside of Christ, that justice will be terrifying, sure, and final.
It is important to note that the first doctrine of God to be denied was judgment. When Eve recited God’s warning about the result of her disobedience, Satan denied what God said. Satan told her, “You will not surely die” (Genesis 3:4). But that lie resulted in the first couple’s disobedience, God’s judgment being handed down to Adam and Eve, and the introduction of sin into the human race.
Unless a person puts his faith in Christ, he will stand before Jesus at His Great White Throne and be judged unworthy of spending eternity with God. Speaking 2,000 years ago to a group of unbelieving philosophers on Mars Hill in Athens, Paul said, “because he has fixed a day on which he will judge the world in righteousness by a man whom he has appointed; and of this he has given assurance to all by raising him from the dead” (Acts 17:31).
If you haven’t yet received Christ as your Savior and Lord, pray to Him now, ask for forgiveness, and escape the certain judgment that is to come.
Resource :
September 19, 2018 @ 8:26 pm
My name is Alan Finch. I became a Christian 42 years ago.
The “Mercy Seat” which was among the Children of Israel in the Old Testament was the most important object in the Tabernacle.
The “Mercy Seat” represented the Throne of God in Heaven. The Great White Throne in Heaven (i.e – Throne of Mercy) will be the very Throne that God will be seated on when He passes judgment on all those who come before Him at the Great White Throne Judgment.
The Great White Throne Judgment which has been misunderstood by the Church today, will be a judgment of Mercy that will through the transforming work by FIRE from God’s Spirit will result in the RECONCILIATION to God of each and every person who comes before the Great White Throne Judgment.
Colossians 1:20 – “Christ, who predetermined by God, bled peace into the world by His death on the Cross as God’s means of reconciling to Himself the whole creation, all things in heaven and all things on earth.”
The “Mercy Seat” in the Tabernacle of the Old Testament was a shadow of the future GREAT MERCY that each and every person that comes before the Great White Throne Judgment will receive which has only been made possible by the shedding of Christ’s Redeeming Blood on the Cross for ALL.
The Great White Throne Judgment will not be a judgment of people spending eternity being tormented in the Lake of Fire which has become the popular present-day traditional teaching of the Church.
I have written a 27 page article that Biblically will answer a number of the most important questions in regards to the final outcome of the entire human race. It is extensive, that is why that the article is 27 pages. If anyone would like a copy, feel free to e-mail me and ask for a copy and I will e-mail you a copy.
(candy33alan@aol.com)