The Day of
Judgment
A DAWN PUBLICATION
A DAWN PUBLICATION
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Present Judgment Day In the Resurrection Those Who Do Evil The Dead to Hear "By His Truth" "the Books Opened" "According to Works" The Lake of Fire The Sheep and Goats |
Revelation 20:12-15 is one of the very interesting passages of the Bible related to the future judgment day of the world. In this symbolic prophecy the future enlightenment of the people is illustrated by the idea of books being opened. This wonderful description of the judgment day reads:
During the thousand-year reign of Christ, when the dead are being awakened, they will "stand before God" in the sense that, through the redemptive work of Christ, the original condemnation will no longer count against them, and each will have an opportunity to believe, obey, and live. But this opportunity requires a further manifestation of divine grace. The "books" must be opened.
This is a pictorial way of telling us that he will judge the people "with his truth." (Psalm 96:13) The "books" contain the truth, and must be opened, for as long they remain closed, the truth is concealed and the people "comprehend it not."
We are, of course, aware of the view held by some that the "books" referred to in this passage contain the records of the past live of all who have died, and that these books are opened in the judgment day to discover who is worthy and who is unworthy. It should be noted, however, that the prophecy mentions the "works" of those being judged as separate from the "books," for the judgment is said to be out of the things in the books, "according to their works." The point is that the judgment is based upon the degree to which their works are made to conform to the truth contained in the books.
After all, the Lord would not need to look up the record of any sinner's wokrs to determine his worthiness or unworthiness of life; for he knows, as the Scriptures state, "ther is none righteous, no, not one." (Romans 3:10) Even the footstep follwers of Jesus would be unworthy of life if they were judged by their own imperfect works.
The Lord know that none is worthy of life through hi own righteousness. But divine love provided a way of escape from condemnation through belief in Christ, in hi "word," and in the wonderful provision of his blood. But there can be no genuine belief until there is knowledge upon which faith can be based. Therefore that knowledge is provided, the "books" are opened, during the thousand-year judgment day.
God is his own interpreter, and in Isaiah 29:11-18 he speaks again of these symbolic "books," and what is implied by their opening. In this passage we are told of a "book that is sealed," which is given to one who is learned and then to one who is unlearned. Neither is able to "read" or comprehend the meaning of its contents.
Finally the book is opened - "In that day shall the deaf hear the words of the book, and the eyes of the blind shall see out of obscurity, and out of darkness." The period called "that day" is clearly shown by the context to be the time of Christ's kingdom. And of that day the promise is made, "The meek also shall increase their joy in the Lord, and the poor among men shall rejoice in the Holy One of Israel." - Isaiah 29:19
The prophecy says "another book" is also opened. It is styled the "book of life." The dead who stand before God, and are tried upon the basis of their obedience to the things written in the books, formerly had their names listed, as it were, in a book of death, for they were all in Adam's "book." Paul states the thought in a slightly different manner, saying, "As in Adam all die"; but he adds, "even so in Christ shall all be made alive."-I Corinthians 15:22
So Christ's book of life will then be opened for mankind, and as each individual of the condemned race - awakened from death and enlightened - accepts and obeys the truth, his name will entered in that book. The opening of this book of life is not to discover whose names are there, but to enter the names of those who, "according to their works," prove their love for the truth by which the people will then be judged. - Psalms. 96:13
Verse 13 says that death and hell will then give up their dead. That is why the dead will have an opportunity to stand before God. Hell, or hades, as it is in the Greek text, is the condition of death, not a place of torment. Following the return of the dead from hell, both death and hell are to be cast into "the lake of fire," which is described as "the second death." It is not called the second death because everything destroyed in the lake of fire dies the second time, but because it will be the second time the death penalty will be inflicted.
In the lake of fire, which is the second death, even death itself will die. Included in that final cleansing of the earth will be the destruction of all whose names are not, finally, written in the book of life. These will be cast into the lake of fire, the second death, not to be tormented, but to be destroyed.
That glorious day when the Lord judges the people with his truth will be a time of favor for them. "When thy judgments are in the earth, the inhabitants fo the world will learn righteousness." (Isaiah 26:9) But there will be willfully wicked ones even then who will refuse to obey the truth. Concerning this the next verse declares, "Let favor be showed to the wicked, yet will not learn righteousness; in the land of uprightness will he deal unjustly, and will not behold the majesty of the Lord." - Isaiah. 26:10
The expression "the of uprightness" describes conditions which will exist in the earth during the reign of Christ. Peter refers to the same time, saying, "we, according to his promise, look for new heavens and a new earth, wherein dwelleth righteousness." (II Peter 3:13) Peter refers to this new era of human experience as "the day of judgement and perdition [destruction] of ungodly men." (II Peter 3:7) It will mean perdition for all such, for they will be "destroyed from among the people." -Acts 3:23
But, as Peter shows, only those who refuse to hear and obey the truth when it is then presented will be revealed as ungodly and destroyed. Under the enlightening influences of the truth their willful disposition will be revealed.
Another lesson on the coming judgment day is Jesus' Parable of the Sheep and Goats. (Matthew 25:31-46) The time when the parable applies is identified by the opening verse. "When the Son of man shall come in his glory, and all the holy angels with him, then shall he sit upon the throne of hi glory." Jesus sits upon the throne of his glory during the thousand years of his reign. In the Greek text, the "angels" who appear with Christ in glory are "messengers." The reference is to his church, those who believe during this age and, proving faithful unto death, will be glorified with hime as associate kings and judges.
Before this throne of his glory all nations will be gathered, the parable states, and they will be divided as sheep and goats are divided. This is not a division between the church and the world, for the church is with her Lord in the throne. The division, rather, takes place between those of the world who had not been previously enlightened, and died as unbelievers. They are "the dead small and great' who "stand before God" when the "books" are opened. Some will then believe and obey; others will not, hence the division into two classes.
All nationalities will participate in that future judgment day scene. Jesus, on another occasion, said would be "more tolerable for Sodom and Gomorrah" in the judgment day than it would be for those who rejected and persected him. (Matthew 10:15) This means that the people of those wicked cities of the remote past will be awakened from death and given an opportunity to repent, believe, and live.
It will be more tolerable for those wicked cities than for the Israelites who rejected Jesus, because they did not sin against so much light. But it will be tolerable for all! All are to be awakened and enlightened, and if obedient to the light, the truth, they will be judged worthy of living forever.
In the parable, the sheep class are rewarded because of their spirit of helpfulness and cooperation. To his own disciples Jesus said, "A new commandment I give unto you, That ye love one another, as I have loved you." (John 13:34) When the books of truth, the words of Jesus by which the people will then be judged, are opened, it will be found that basic to all divine requirements of those found worthy of life will be an appreciation and practice of divine love, that great principle of unselfishness which leads one to be more interested in his neighbor than in himself.
This quality will be found in the sheep class. Because of this they hear the welcome words of Jesus, "Come, ye blessed of my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world." (Matt. 25:34) This is the kingdom of earth, originally given to our first parents, which they lost when they disobeyed God and were driven out of Eden to die. At the close of the thousand-year judgment day, this kingdom will be restored to all who then qualify. It is this restoration that Peter describes as "restitution." - Acts 3:19-23
The "goats" of the parable are those of Revelation 20:15 whose names are not found in the book of life. They are the wicked of Isaiah 26:10, and those of Acts 3:23, who, refusing to hear the great Teacher of that time, "shall be destroyed from among the people."
The goat class, according to Jesus, "go away into everlasting punishment," while the shep receive everlasting life. (Matthew 25:46) The word "punishment" in this text is from a Greek word meaning to "cut off." In other words, the "goats" will be "cut off" from life - destroyed. In verse 41 this is symbolized by fire - fire being one of the most destructive agencies known to man - "prepared for the Devil and his angels."
Yes, thank God, even the Devil and the unholy angels who are with him will also be destroyed in that symbolic lake of fire which the Revelator declares to be "the second death." Meanwhile, every child of Adam will have had a full opportunity to accept the grace of God provided through the redemptive work of Christ. None will lose life, or fail to obtain salvation, except those who, despite full enlightment, refuse to believe and to obey the truth.
This enlarged view of the great expanse of God's grace and love should inspire in us a greater desire than ever to serve and please Him, for we have a marvelous opportunity to cooperate in the divine plan of salvation for a lost race. To receive the gift of life through Christ is a wonderful manifestation of God's grace. But beyond this, through Christ we have the high honor of partnership with God and with his dear Son in the work of reconciling the lost world.
In view of the marvelous blessings yet in store for the human race, blessings which will come to the people during the thousand-year judgment day, it is no wonder that the psalmist called upon all creation to praise the Lord because "he cometh to judge the earth." For "he shall judge the world with righteousness, and the people with his truth." - Psalm 96:13
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