I. Revelation 20.11-15 clearly establishes a time of punishment of the unrepentant

A. The Final Judgment of the lost, though an unpopular doctrine, is a literal Scriptural truth. Preachers do not like to discuss the subject, but unless the Word of God is relegated to the garbage heap, it is a viable truth that MUST be discussed.

B. Some time ago a midwestern university polled 100 ministers, and found that over 50% of them rejected the doctrine of future punishment.

1. Another poll was taken of 500 ministers of different Protestant Churches. A full 34% of the ministers polled did not believe in a future punishment of unbelievers.

2. Reason: Universalism and pluralism is being advanced in our society today. Man believes that "God is too good" to punish for sin, especially when it comes to eternal punishment.

C. Jerome: "If an offense comes out of the truth, better it is that the offense come than the truth be concealed .."

1. The truth of eternal punishment comes from the same Person who taught us of Heaven in the New Testament: Jesus Christ.

2. Jesus taught about GEHENNA and HADES, places of punishment after death, more than any other preacher. Jesus taught on GEHENNA eleven out of the twelve times the word is mentioned in the NT (exception is in James 3.6)

A. The key phrase in the Book of Revelation is "and I saw". It occurs 24 times in the Book.

1. Revelation 19:17  "And I saw an angel standing in the sun; and he cried with a loud voice, saying to all the fowls that fly in the midst of heaven, Come and gather yourselves together unto the supper of the great God" - refers to Armageddon

2. Revelation 20:1  "And I saw an angel come down from heaven, having the key of the bottomless pit and a great chain in his hand." - refers to the binding of Satan

3. Revelation 20:4  "And I saw thrones, and they sat upon them, and judgment was given unto them: and I saw the souls of them that were beheaded for the witness of Jesus, and for the word of God, and which had not worshipped the beast, neither his image, neither had received his mark upon their foreheads, or in their hands; and they lived and reigned with Christ a thousand years." - refers to the Millennial reign of Christ

4. Revelation 20:11-12  "And I saw a great white throne, and him that sat on it, from whose face the earth and the heaven fled away; and there was found no place for them.  And I saw the dead, small and great, stand before God; and the books were opened: and another book was opened, which is the book of life: and the dead were judged out of those things which were written in the books, according to their works." - refers to the Great White Throne Judgment

B. If "and I saw" refers to literal reign of Christ on the earth, the literal binding of Satan, and a literal Armageddon - then contextually it must refer to a literal Great White Throne Judgment. If not, then we must disclude "and I saw" in the rest of Revelation.

C. The word "and" is used in the "and I saw" statements to show chronological progression of events leading up to the Great White Throne:

1. "Great" because God is infinite in His character and being

2. "White" because God is holy, pure, without sin. His judgment is as pure as He is pure.

3. "Throne" because this is a judicial trial from One Who is entitled, by very right of authority, to make this judgment.

D. Why must there be a final judgment?

1. The holiness of God must be vindicated

a. Habakkuk 1:13  "Thou art of purer eyes than to behold evil, and canst not look on iniquity: wherefore lookest thou upon them that deal treacherously, and holdest thy tongue when the wicked devoureth the man that is more righteous than he?"

b. Psalms 111:9  "He sent redemption unto his people: he hath commanded his covenant for ever: holy and reverend is his name."

2. Justice in this earth is not perfect.

a. There are some sins that have been hidden from man's justice (like O.J. Simpson getting away with murder). The judge, the jury were pitifully fallible.

b. There are some who are properly judged, but escape justice to another country.

3. Judgment is not a function of God's meanness, but His goodness. It would be inconsistent with His holiness that the unrepentant evil spend eternity in Heaven with the repentant saved. Could a good God allow Charles Manson, who carved a baby out of a woman's stomach, and to this day remains unrepentant and without Christ, Heaven along with the Apostle Paul? Could a good God allow Hitler, who murdered over 8 million people, Heaven along with the murdered Cassie from Columbine?

E. The Great White Throne is the consummation of man's evil. The Scripture teaches us:

Revelation 20:11  "And I saw a great white throne, and him that sat on it, from whose face the earth and the heaven fled away; and there was found no place for them."

that man tries to hide from this Judgment, but there is no place to hide. Universalism tries to hide from this Judgment today by ignoring Scripture, but there will ultimately be no place left to hide when God assumes this Throne.

A. The "dead" are those who did not live until after the Millennium in the second resurrection.

B. The Church, that body of believers in Jesus Christ, will be caught up and resurrected at a time we call "the Rapture". Israel and those Gentiles who were saved during the Tribulation, but were executed for their faith will be resurrected prior to the Millennium. These are the two stages of the "First Resurrection".

C. The "Second Resurrection" is all the unbelievers who have rejected Christ as Savior, from the beginning of time to its end. Scripture does not place believers at the Great White Throne Judgment, only unbelievers.

D. There are two witnesses against the unsaved at the GWT Judgment:

1. There is the "Book of Works". This book contains vouchers of everything that the unsaved did in an attempt to be saved.

2. There is the "Book of Life", which lists the names of all those who have a right to be in Heaven.

E. The Judgment is just - man condemns himself by his own works and words.

1. The Judgment is appropriate:

Matthew 10:15  "Verily I say unto you, It shall be more tolerable for the land of Sodom and Gomorra in the day of judgment, than for that city."

A. Death and the grave are cast into the Lake of Fire. This shows that there shall be no cessation of this punishment - no end.

B. The Lake of Fire is known as "the Second Death" not because it is a cessation of life, but because it is an eternal separation from God.

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