(4 minute read)
Jesus is coming back for a final judgment of all mankind.
“Jesus, the Lord of history, will return… to bring history to its proper conclusion.” (adapted from Revelation 1:7; Holman New Testament Commentary – Revelation; Kendall H. Easley)
This time, He will return as King of Kings and Lord of Lords. And every knee will bow, and every tongue will confess that Jesus Christ is Lord (Philippians 2:10–11). Only the Father knows the day and hour (Matthew 24:36).
The Bible calls it the Day of the Lord—a great day for believers, but a terrible day for those who have rejected Him.
The Bible teaches that every person will ultimately stand before Jesus Christ, the holy and righteous Judge. However, Scripture distinguishes between the judgment of the saved and the judgment of the lost.
The Judgment Seat of Christ is for those who have been saved through faith in Jesus Christ. This judgment is not to determine whether they are saved, because believers are already justified through Christ and are no longer under condemnation. Instead, their lives, works, motives, faithfulness, and service will be evaluated by Christ. Believers may receive reward or suffer loss of reward, but their eternal salvation is secure in Him. Paul writes, “For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ” (2 Corinthians 5:10), and 1 Corinthians 3:13–15 explains that each believer’s work will be tested. Those who belong to Christ will spend eternity with God in the New Jerusalem, in the new heaven and new earth. (Romans 8:1; 1 Corinthians 3:11–15; 2 Corinthians 5:10; Revelation 21:1–4)
The Great White Throne Judgment, by contrast, is the final judgment of the lost before the creation of the new heaven and new earth. Revelation 20 describes the dead standing before God while the books are opened, and they are judged according to their works. Anyone whose name is not found written in the Book of Life is cast into the lake of fire. This is called the second death. It is the final and eternal judgment of those who die apart from salvation in Jesus Christ. (Revelation 20:11–15
“Then I saw a great white throne and Him (Jesus) who sits on it, from whose presence earth and heaven fled away, and no place was found for them.” — (Revelation 20:11)
John then sees “the dead, the great and the small” standing before Jesus. Books are opened, including the Book of Life, and the dead are judged according to their deeds. (Revelation 20:12–13)
“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 20:14–15)
The distinction is therefore clear: the saved appear before Christ for evaluation and reward; the lost appear before Christ for final judgment and condemnation. Salvation is not earned at either judgment. The only hope of escaping condemnation is to be reconciled to God through Jesus Christ before death. Jesus said that whoever hears His word and believes in Him “has everlasting life, and shall not come into judgment, but has passed from death into life.” (John 5:24)
That “lake of fire” is not annihilation—it is eternal, conscious punishment, the same fate as Satan, the Antichrist, and the False Prophet (Revelation 20:10).
Annihilation usually refers to the belief that the wicked, after God’s final judgment, are ultimately destroyed and cease to exist, rather than experiencing conscious punishment forever.
Personalize it:
And if [insert your first name]’s name is not found written in the Lamb’s Book of Life, he/she will be thrown into the lake of fire… the second death, irreversible, for all eternity.
Matthew 3:12 explains:
“He (God) will gather His wheat (believers) into the barn (His kingdom), but He will burn up the chaff (the unrepentant) with unquenchable fire.”
“There is a day coming when the wheat and chaff, the righteous and the unrighteous, shall be separated. The last judgment will be the distinguishing day, when saints and sinners shall be parted forever. In heaven the saints are brought together, and no longer scattered; they are safe, and no longer exposed; separated from corrupt neighbors without, and corrupt affections within, and there is no chaff among them. Hell, the lake of fire, is the unquenchable fire, which will certainly be the portion and punishment of hypocrites and unbelievers. Here life and death, good and evil, are set before us: according as we now are in the field, we shall be then in the floor.” (Source: Matthew Henry Commentary; emphasis added)
“If in that day Christ comes as a friend, it can only be a day of glory; if He comes as a stranger… it can only be a day of judgment.” (William Barclay)
“You do not want to be outside those who follow Jesus because all that’s left is judgment. If you are not with God through His Son by the work of the Holy Spirit, then you will be tossed into the lake of fire.” (Dr. Greg Belser)
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