Great White Throne

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

The Revelation of Jesus Christ to John has taken us through the end of the Church age, through the great tribulation, through the second advent of Jesus, through the millennial reign of Christ, through the final rebellion of Satan and his followers. The rebellion has been put down and Satan has been cast into the lake of fire forever. Now comes the judgment of all unbelievers.

All believers of all ages were already resurrected, given their new, eternal bodies and their eternal rewards. They are in positions of authority, delegated by the King of Kings and Lord of Lords. The Church age believers’ works were evaluated at the Judgment Seat of Christ, during the tribulation. The evaluation was to determine which works were valuable, having been performed in the power of the Holy Spirit (gold, silver, precious stones), and which were human good (wood, hay and stubble) only good for burning. Even if the believers’ works were burned, he himself retained the eternal life he received by believing in the finished work of Jesus Christ on the cross. All sins of the human race were paid for there, on that cross.

All the sins of the unbelievers were also paid for on that cross, which is why they will never be judged for their sins. Jesus took that full judgment. There is only one reason for anyone to be at this judgment: rejection of Jesus’ atonement. So, there they stand—“the dead”—in their filthy rags of human good. The books are opened. Books, plural. The books of recorded good deeds in each unbeliever’s life. Not sins!! The sins are no longer an issue, since the penalty was paid in full on the cross. When Jesus was screaming out to God the Father (“My God!”) and God the Holy Spirit (“My God!”), it was because of His personal agony at having been separated from God while He bore all the sins of all mankind in His sinless body. His death was spiritual separation from the Father and the Spirit. His physical death came only after He declared “it is finished!”  The work was done and He was alive and conscious. Because He did that, all who believe and receive Him are given HIS righteousness, which is the requirement for eternal life.

So, there they stand, in their filthy rags of human good, expecting to be favorably compared to the supreme sacrifice the Lord Himself, their judge, has made for them. It is that simple. They are condemned, not for anything they have done, but for what they have refused to do: believe and receive the free gift of the only Savior. There is nothing more He can do for them, who refuse to relinquish their self-righteousness. The record of their good deeds just cannot measure up.

Having demonstrated the shortcomings of the human works, one more book must be opened, as a final proof of the unbeliever’s condemnation: the Book of Life. If he never has been born again, his name is not there. They who die without receiving Christ’s salvation have their names blotted out.

Every unbeliever of all history who has died by any means whatsoever is brought before the throne to see his works rejected and to see that his name is not in the Book of Life.

Death and Hell are thrown into the lake of fire, and all unbelievers are thrown into the lake of fire. That is the second death for those who were born only once. That is the final judgment on those for whom Jesus died and to whom Moses and the prophets and angels and all believers in Jesus Christ have witnessed throughout history. They have had ample opportunity to believe.

They refused.