The white throne judgment

[fli]

Rev 20:11 Then I saw a great white throne and Him who sat on it, from whose face the earth and the heaven fled away. And there was found no place for them. 12 And I saw the dead, small and great, standing before God, and books were opened. And another book was opened, which is the Book of Life. And the dead were judged according to their works, by the things which were written in the books. 13 The sea gave up the dead who were in it, and Death and Hades delivered up the dead who were in them. And they were judged, each one according to his works. 14 Then Death and Hades were cast into the lake of fire. This is the second death. 15 And anyone not found written in the Book of Life was cast into the lake of fire. NKJV

This is the final judgment for those not saved. The dreaded white throne judgment. The dead are judged according to their works.

John 5:22 For the Father judges no one, but has committed all judgment to the Son, 23 that all should honor the Son just as they honor the Father. NKJV

Jesus is the Judge at the white throne.

Matt 25:31 "When the Son of Man comes in His glory, and all the holy angels with Him, then He will sit on the throne of His glory. 32 All the nations will be gathered before Him, and He will separate them one from another, as a shepherd divides his sheep from the goats. 33 And He will set the sheep on His right hand, but the goats on the left. 34 Then the King will say to those on His right hand, 'Come, you blessed of My Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world: 35 for I was hungry and you gave Me food; I was thirsty and you gave Me drink; I was a stranger and you took Me in; 36 I was naked and you clothed Me; I was sick and you visited Me; I was in prison and you came to Me.' 37 "Then the righteous will answer Him, saying, 'Lord, when did we see You hungry and feed You, or thirsty and give You drink? 38 When did we see You a stranger and take You in, or naked and clothe You? 39 Or when did we see You sick, or in prison, and come to You?' 40 And the King will answer and say to them, 'Assuredly, I say to you, inasmuch as you did it to one of the least of these My brethren, you did it to Me.' 41 "Then He will also say to those on the left hand, 'Depart from Me, you cursed, into the everlasting fire prepared for the devil and his angels: 42 for I was hungry and you gave Me no food; I was thirsty and you gave Me no drink; 43 I was a stranger and you did not take Me in, naked and you did not clothe Me, sick and in prison and you did not visit Me.' 44 "Then they also will answer Him, saying, 'Lord, when did we see You hungry or thirsty or a stranger or naked or sick or in prison, and did not minister to You?' 45 Then He will answer them, saying, 'Assuredly, I say to you, inasmuch as you did not do it to one of the least of these, you did not do it to Me.' 46 And these will go away into everlasting punishment, but the righteous into eternal life." NKJV

This is the white throne judgment. There are sheep and goats being judged according to their works. People enter eternal life based on their treatment of the brethren of Jesus. Notice in verse 34 that the sheep's kingdom was prepared from the foundation of the earth. It is an earthly kingdom. They do not enter heaven but remain on the earth. From the white throne the sheep are given the right to enter eternal life in an earthly kingdom. (By John 14:2 our place was prepared after Jesus died)

The goats did not receive eternal damnation from the white throne.

John 3:18 "He who believes in Him is not condemned; but he who does not believe is condemned already, because he has not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God. NKJV

All these people (both sheep and goats) were condemned when they died. There is no need to judge unsaved people as they are already condemned.

John 16:8 And when He has come, He will convict the world of sin, and of righteousness, and of judgment: 9 of sin, because they do not believe in Me; 10 of righteousness, because I go to My Father and you see Me no more; 11 of judgment, because the ruler of this world is judged. NKJV

They are already convicted by the Holy Spirit. The only sin that sends people to eternal damnation is rejection of Jesus.

2 Peter 2:9 then the Lord knows how to deliver the godly out of temptations and to reserve the unjust under punishment for the day of judgment NKJV

After the unsaved die the only chance to avoid eternal damnation is the white throne judgment. In the old testament people were blessed or cursed by God depending on how they treated the Hebrews. The same thing holds true in the new testament depending on how people treat Christians. This is how Jesus blesses those who bless Him by helping His brethren.

As said above the sheep from Matthew 25 get an earthly kingdom. This is because they are flesh and blood beings.

1 Cor 15:51 Behold, I tell you a mystery: We shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed — 52 in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet. For the trumpet will sound, and the dead will be raised incorruptible, and we shall be changed. 53 For this corruptible must put on incorruption, and this mortal must put on immortality. NKJV

The above is the way Jesus described how we would be. Our bodies are incorruptible.

Rev 22:1 And he showed me a pure river of water of life, clear as crystal, proceeding from the throne of God and of the Lamb. 2 In the middle of its street, and on either side of the river, was the tree of life, which bore twelve fruits, each tree yielding its fruit every month. The leaves of the tree were for the healing of the nations. NKJV

Yet on the new earth there are people who suffer corruption and need to be healed. This is the second witness that there flesh and blood beings on the new earth.

Isa 65:17 "For behold, I create new heavens and a new earth; And the former shall not be remembered or come to mind. 18 But be glad and rejoice forever in what I create; For behold, I create Jerusalem as a rejoicing, And her people a joy. 19 I will rejoice in Jerusalem, And joy in My people; The voice of weeping shall no longer be heard in her, Nor the voice of crying. 20 "No more shall an infant from there live but a few days, Nor an old man who has not fulfilled his days; For the child shall die one hundred years old, But the sinner being one hundred years old shall be accursed.................23 They shall not labor in vain, Nor bring forth children for trouble; For they shall be the descendants of the blessed of the Lord And their offspring with them. NKJV

Two witnesses establish the truth. Isaiah 65 above is the third witness that flesh and blood people inhabit the new earth. There are people having children and dying.

 

[RickReads]

If no one at white throne is saved what is the point of opening the book of life?

 

[fli]

If no one at white throne is saved what is the point of opening the book of life?

I agree. However, I have met very few people that agree with my post. Some believe that the judgment is for people entering into the millennium and others believe that it's God judging the redeemed for rewards not salvation. Neither of those make sense to me. I believe that there is ample evidence that flesh and blood people survive the white throne judgment. They don't get into heaven and they do not have new bodies so their reward is not nearly as good as becoming sons of God.

 

[RickReads]

I agree. However, I have met very few people that agree with my post. Some believe that the judgment is for people entering into the millennium and others believe that it's God judging the redeemed for rewards not salvation. Neither of those make sense to me. I believe that there is ample evidence that flesh and blood people survive the white throne judgment. They don't get into heaven and they do not have new bodies so their reward is not nearly as good as becoming sons of God.

The millennium must occur in order to fulfill the words of the prophets. About 20% of prophecy remains to be fulfilled. The white throne occurs afterward. The book of life is opened because people will get saved and Gods mercy will continue after the first resurrection.

Believe the truth whether others do or not. I`m not as jaded as that sounds

 

[Tolworth John]

There is a very simple point being made in the picture book that is revelation.
There is a final day of judgement that no one will escape.

 

[honey badger]

a second death unto Life ....

 

[fli]

The millennium must occur in order to fulfill the words of the prophets. About 20% of prophecy remains to be fulfilled. The white throne occurs afterward. The book of life is opened because people will get saved and Gods mercy will continue after the first resurrection.

Believe the truth whether others do or not. I`m not as jaded as that sounds

I didn't make myself very clear in my first reply. The judgment that I said most believe was a judgment for entering into the millennium and rewards was the Matthew 25 judgment. I was always taught that all everyone got from the white throne was the lake of fire. No one ever escaped.

 

[RickReads]

I didn't make myself very clear in my first reply. The judgment that I said most believe was a judgment for entering into the millennium and rewards was the Matthew 25 judgment. I was always taught that all everyone got from the white throne was the lake of fire. No one ever escaped.

I understood what you meant but it wasn`t my purpose to bring up differences in your view and mine apart from what I put in the remark.

 

[Justified_By_Christ_Alone]

I agree. However, I have met very few people that agree with my post. Some believe that the judgment is for people entering into the millennium and others believe that it's God judging the redeemed for rewards not salvation. Neither of those make sense to me. I believe that there is ample evidence that flesh and blood people survive the white throne judgment. They don't get into heaven and they do not have new bodies so their reward is not nearly as good as becoming sons of God.

Interesting perspective. That would explain the leaves for the healing of the nations on New Earth, as described on the last chapter of the bible. Glorified bodies won't need healing. It would also explain the fountain of life. That also explains why there are angels guarding the doors of the kingdom of the Holy city of New Jerusalem, those who are not sons of God can't enter but can live on New Earth alongside it. And the mansions/houses furthest from the kingdom is "outer darkness" for the most wicked people but even they are on new earth just furthest from the light of the kingdom which is in the centre of New Earth (New Jerusalem).

But this begs the question, who will be sent to the lake of fire with the beast and the false prophet? Could this be people who willfully reject Jesus even after seeing the truth? In this life? What about those who meet him face-to-face on the Great White Throne and still reject him then? So many questions. It seems clear there will be some wicked people who will not live on new earth which explains the passages "the wicked will perish" and "everlasting destruction" and "the second death". Unless that only refers to the beast and false prophet where they will die eventually after being tormented for ages and ages? (Greek translation of forever and ever?) Not everyone's names will be written in the book of life too though I think (not the lamb's book of life, but the general book of life). That also explains why some people will be blotted out of the book of life! Could that be lost people who add to the bible on judgement or even on this life? Or could that only be referring to satan? So many questions I have.