The Last Judgment

Transcript

GR 1569
05/23/10
The Last Judgment
Revelation 20:10-15
Gil Rugh

We are in Revelation 20 in your Bibles. And just to set the stage, if you look at your chart on the resurrections the cross marks us off with the death of Christ. We've just sung about the cross where Christ died and then we are called to believe in Him. And when we do we are identified in that death and resurrection to new life. Then we have the Church Age between the cross and the first stage of the Second Coming which we popularly known as the rapture of the church. Then we have the seven-year tribulation completing the 490-year program that God announced for His people Israel in Daniel 9. We have the Second Coming of Christ to earth, we have the thousand-year millennium and then we move into eternity. There are many details that we have not covered that the book of Revelation does not go into. And there are many positions that are taken different from the positions that we have taken. But we have tried to just stay primarily with what we see the scripture teaching and unfolding those positions.

We're going to come to what is the last judgment of scripture and so if you'd take your chart on the judgments of scripture I just want to highlight those. We've put scripture passages with all of these but obviously we're not going to take time to look at all these passages, some of them we've looked at as we've moved through our study and come to these judgments. You could take this and review for yourself. But let me just note where these judgments fit on your chart on the resurrections. The rapture of the church, the church is resurrected and following the resurrection and rapture of the church, the church is judged at the Bema seat of Christ. That would occur at the first stage of the Second Coming where the church is resurrected. (I Corinthians 15, I Thessalonians 4) There we are not judged to determine our eternal destiny; that has been settled when we placed our faith in Christ. But that is a time of rewards. We are rewarded for faithfulness to Jesus Christ. You have some of the passages there referring to the particular judgment that will take place for us as believers following the rapture. That rapture, remember, is the time when every believer from the Church Age, from Acts 2 down until the rapture of the church is bodily resurrected. Those who have died, their bodies are raised and then those who are alive are immediately caught up in the air and undergo an instantaneous transformation.

As we've noted, in all these resurrections the scripture is clear, at physical death a person leaves his body and for believers we immediately go into the presence of the Lord. To be absent from the body is to be present with the Lord. For unbelievers they, too, leave their bodies but they go into a place of torment and suffering, awaiting their resurrection.

So the rapture of the church is the first in this series of resurrections, it's the first in the series of judgments. Some would say sin was judged at the cross by Christ, and that's true, but we're talking about judgments that pertain to us following through the finished work of Christ.

The second judgment we've noted occurs at the second stage of the Second Coming where Christ returns to earth after the seven-year tribulation and these are judgments of the living at the return of Christ to earth. All those who have survived that seven-year tribulation, as we've noted, come before Christ. And that includes living Jews and living Gentiles. The result of that judgment—all unbelievers are killed so that only believers will go into the thousand-year kingdom. So that is a judgment of living people at the Second Advent of Christ to the earth. The first judgment of the church at the rapture was a judgment of resurrected people, and really glorified people since only believers are included in the rapture. This second judgment has two parts—Israel and Gentiles. But it does not include any resurrected people, but it is the living at the Second Coming of Christ.

Now a third judgment occurs at the same time because we have resurrected Old Testament saints and tribulation saints at the Second Coming of Christ to earth as well. Before the millennium begins the resurrected martyrs from the seven-year tribulation we referred to in Revelation 20:4, Old Testament saints are resurrected at this time as well. Daniel 12 in the opening verses refers to that. Because Israel in the Old Testament is promised a part in the kingdom that their Messiah would set up and David is promised a part of ruling in that kingdom. So obviously David has to be resurrected in anticipation of that kingdom, along with other Old Testament saints. Because we're told that believers will sit down in the kingdom with Abraham and carry on discussion. So he will be resurrected to be part of that kingdom as well.

You have those who are resurrected at the Second Coming. There are two groups: the Jews and Gentiles who were alive physically at the Second Coming, judgment there, unbelievers are executed; and then you also have resurrected Old Testament saints and tribulation saints who have died who are resurrected and judged at that point. And they will be rewarded for their faithfulness and join with us in ruling in the kingdom. It seems that all resurrected, glorified saints will have a part in the ruling and reigning with Christ in His kingdom, both church saints and Old Testament saints, tribulation saints. There is a judgment there, they will be rewarded and they reign with Christ.

That leaves one judgment. We walk through these because you read some writings and they just lump all the judgments of scripture together, there is just one last judgment. But to take scripture literally and let it unfold its truths in its order, we see clearly as we have come through chapter 20. Verses 4-5, they talk about those “who came to life and reigned with Christ for a thousand years. The rest of the dead did not come to life until the thousand years were completed…” And I was reading this afternoon some material about some strange things done here. The thousand years has nothing to do with a time period, we're just talking about a thousand years as a way of expressing blessing and joy for martyred saints. And there are no timelines intended in this. And there is no wonder why people can't make heads or tails out of the book of Revelation. I can't even follow what he is saying. You back here and it's the same thing as it said earlier, and he is just repeating what he said and everything is allegorized and spiritualized. We just unfold after the thousand years. There are certain people who will not be resurrected until the thousand years are completed. That's why you have on your resurrection chart the line at the end of a thousand years and we say unbelievers are resurrected. And there is where their judgment will occur as well. And this will be all unbelievers from all time, will be resurrected here, and this is their judgment.

Now unbelievers have experienced the judgment at the Second Coming of Christ to earth, living unbelievers. And they were executed so they would not go into the kingdom. But now we have the resurrection of all unbelievers for final sentencing before the Great White Throne. That's what we're going to be talking about in our study together for the rest of our time. So I encourage you to refresh your mind, go back through those judgments, take the time to look up the scriptures and be clear in your mind the distinctions that the scripture draws. And there is a beautiful clarity; you just take the scripture as it is given. And don't try to complicate it. That doesn't mean there aren't things that stretch us, but if we take it like we're coming through the book of Revelation.

Now the thousand years are completed, we looked at Revelation 20:7, Satan was released. He had been bound at the beginning of the thousand years. Some people try to say he was bound at the cross and so he has just a limited kind of freedom in our day. And the thousand years just refer to an extended period of time, and we're not talking about events before and after the thousand years particularly. I mean it just gets confused. Let's just take it as it is, at the beginning of a thousand-year period Satan is bound. Then you have a thousand-year reign of Christ. They say, it never says a thousand years anywhere else in the Bible. Well, so what? How many times does Paul talk about the virgin birth in his epistles? Search it out. Does that mean it's not important? That it's not true? Of course it's true. How many times does God have to say it for it to be true? He said a thousand years six times in Revelation 20 and if He said it in another chapter six times, would two chapters do it? What we have here is additional information. He has talked about the kingdom many times in the Old Testament, speaking through the Old Testament prophets. Here for the first time we are told that the kingdom which he said would be an eternal kingdom has a mark off of a thousand years. During that thousand years Satan is restrained, Christ is ruling, the curse is lifted from the creation so even though only believers went into that period of time, remember, many are born during that period of time. Because sickness, disease will be removed, people living in a perfect environment under a perfect King without the influence of Satan and demonic beings, but they are born with a sin nature. And so everybody born in the millennium will have to themselves place their faith in the King who is ruling.

At the end of the millennium Satan was released and verse 8 we are told he went out to deceive the nations and cause them to follow him, give them an option to Christ. Unbelievers even living under the beautiful reign of Christ for all these years are not pleased with that, they would rather have the devil. So you see this multitude come up. And what does the thousand years do? It reveals that man's problem is his own sinful condition. It's not primarily the devil; it's not primarily his environment, his social conditions or anything else. It's the sin of his heart. And that can only be cured in Christ.

So with that rebellion all unbelievers are destroyed, killed. Then in verse 10 Satan gets his sentence, he was sentenced to hell. The devil that deceived them was thrown into “the lake of fire and brimstone where the beast and the false prophet are also and they will be tormented day and night forever and ever.” I take it with the devil would be the angels who have followed him in his rebellion. Because Jesus said in Matthew 25 that hell was prepared for the devil and his angels. So Satan and fallen angels, demonic beings are cast into hell at this point. And you'll note, the beast and the false prophet are there, they've already been there a thousand years. They were thrown into hell in chapter 19:20, at the beginning of the thousand years. Now at the end of the thousand years Satan is cast into hell with the rest of the demonic beings.

So we are ready now for the last judgment of scripture. We were told that this was coming in verse 5 “the rest of the dead did not come to life until the thousand years were completed.” By the time you have the resurrection of the righteous, following the resurrection of the church seven years earlier, you have all believers who are going to be resurrected and receive glorified bodies receiving those resurrected, glorified bodies. Now I do not believe that includes every believer because believers who have either gone into the millennium and lived through the thousand years in a physical body or those who were born in the millennium and became believers, thus come to the end of the thousand years, I take it will go on in their physical bodies. We'll talk about that as we get into chapters 21-22.

But the resurrection now of believers is complete. The first resurrection which is a resurrection to life, it's a quality of resurrection. It includes the church; it includes Old Testament saints, and tribulation saints. When I say Old Testament saints it would include those in the first eleven chapters of Genesis as well, before the call of Abraham, and anyone after that who was outside of Israel like Melchizedek in Genesis 14 and so on.

Revelation 20:11: “And I saw a great white throne and Him who sat upon it from whose presence earth and heaven fled away, and no place was found for them.” A great white throne indicates its purity, the righteousness of judgment that will take place from this throne.

Psalm 97:1-2: “The Lord reigns, let the earth rejoice, let the many islands be glad. Clouds and thick darkness surround Him; righteousness and justice are the foundation of His throne.” This is a serious matter. There is no more serious issue in all the scripture than the judgment that all men must face before the living God. No one escapes judgment. Hebrews 9:27 tells us, “it is appointed for men once to die, and after this comes judgment.” And it is before a throne that is characterized by righteousness and justice. It's a great white throne, and now those who are to be resurrected will come before it

We're told earth and heaven fled away, no place was found for them. We'll speak more of that when we start into chapter 21 with a new heaven and a new earth. But there are changes that take place here. The present heaven and earth in its present condition is moved out of the way and we have the throne of heaven set up for judgment.

There was no place found for the people. There is no escaping this judgment. No place was found for them, heaven and earth fled away. Verse 12: “And now I saw the dead, the great and the small standing before the throne…” Who is on this throne? It could be God the Father, or maybe God the Son. God the Son will be the One carrying out the judgment from this throne. Scripture is clear that Jesus Christ is appointed by God to be the judge of all men.

Come back to John 5 where Jesus does speak about the two resurrections—the resurrection to life and the resurrection to judgment, condemnation. Verse 22: “For not even the Father judges anyone; but He has given all judgment to the Son.” The judgments of scripture will be carried out by the Son. Now there is complete agreement and harmony between the Father and the Son as well as the Holy Spirit, but the Son will be the active person of the godhead who will do the judging. The reason is in verses 23-24: “in order that all will honor the Son, even as they honor the Father. He who does not honor the Son does not honor the Father who sent Him. Truly, truly I say to you, he who hears My word and believes Him who sent Me has eternal life and does not come into judgment but has passed out of death into life.” So He said the judgment the believers will enter into, for example following the rapture or Old Testament at their resurrection, is a judgment to bestow rewards. It is not a judgment that brings condemnation as the judgment that unbelievers have to appear before.

John 5:25-26: “Truly, truly I say to you, an hour is coming and now is when the dead will hear the voice of the Son of God and those who hear shall live. For just as the Father has life in Himself; even so He gave to the Son to have life in Himself” And we've talked about that and the life that is found in Christ. And we die with Christ, we are buried with Christ, we are raised with Christ to new life. He gave Him authority to execute judgment because He is Son of Man, emphasizing His humanity. How fitting it is that it is the God/Man, the One who is fully God and fully man is who will carry out the judgment.

Verses 28-29: “Do not marvel at this; for an hour is coming in which all who are in the tombs will hear His voice and shall come forth; those who did the good deeds to a resurrection of life, those who committed evil deeds to a resurrection of judgment.” So you see there the two aspects of resurrection. We have it in Revelation 20, the first resurrection, a thousand years later the second resurrection. Here it's just summarized. There will be a resurrection of life and a resurrection of judgment. The dividing line is what people did, even though you can't be saved by works. But all the judgments of scripture will be based upon works. We'll say more about that in a moment.

Acts 17:30-31: “Therefore having overlooked the times of ignorance, God is now declaring to men that all everywhere should repent, because He has fixed a day in which He will judge the world in righteousness through a Man whom He has appointed, having furnished proof to all men by raising Him from the dead” Again the emphasis is on the humanity of Christ. But God will be carrying out judgment through God the Son, who is also the Son of Man. He's the Son of God; He's the Son of Man. And God has furnished irrefutable proof; He raised Him from the dead.

Over to II Timothy 4:1-2: “I solemnly charge you in the presence of God and of Christ Jesus who is to judge the living and the dead and by His appearing and His kingdom; preach the word…” That's a solemn responsibility, Timothy, I charge you in the presence of the One who will judge you. And you'll note; He will judge the living and the dead. We talked about the judgment of the living at the Second Coming and the judgment of the dead that we are about to look at as well.

Come back to Revelation 20. So the Great White Throne and Him that sat upon it, the particular focus will be on the Son of Man, God the Son. The dead, there are no exceptions here. The dead, the great and the small are seen standing before the throne. They have been resurrected, they now appear. We know this is a resurrection because we are told that they are the dead that are being judged, verse 12. Verse 13: “And the sea gave up the dead which were in it and death and Hades gave up the dead which were in them; and they were judged…” So you have a resurrection of unbelievers here. And we'll see that only unbelievers appear at the last judgment of scripture. So the unbelievers are guaranteed a resurrection, even as believers are. But believers are guaranteed a resurrection to life; the unbelievers guaranteed a resurrection to judgment, condemnation and really to death, the second death.

There are no exceptions, there are no exclusions here. “I saw the dead, the great and the small.” All classes, all kinds of people are here. There is no one too important, too powerful or too insignificant. This is an awesome time. They have been resurrected, resurrected bodies. Not called glorified bodies because they are not bodies prepared for the glory of God's presence, but they are resurrected bodies and they will never die in the sense of experiencing physical death. They will be resurrected bodies that will be capable of eternal suffering as we will see.

They are standing before the throne, picture this awesome scene. Verse12: “…books were opened; and another book was opened, which is the book of life and the dead were judged from the things which are written in the books, according to their deeds” Remember back in John 5, those who did good to a resurrection of life, those who did evil to a resurrection of judgment. All the judgments of scripture are based on works but no one is saved by works. But we are judged on the basis of our works. You and I as believers, we were not saved on the basis of our works but the rewards bestowed upon us will be on the basis of our works. Well done, good and faithful servant, the blessings that come as the result of faithfulness.

For the unbeliever, they are going to be judged on the basis of their deeds. Why is the book of life here? I take it the book of life is here to reveal that their name is not in that book and we'll note in verse 15, “if anyone's name was not found written in the book of life he is thrown into the lake of fire.” The issue of the book of your deeds is not to determine whether you are going to heaven because if your name is not in the book of life you are not going to heaven. You are not going to be part of the kingdom; you are going to hell. But the books of the works are opened to determine the exact fairness of our judgment and what that judgment will be.

This book of life has been mentioned. Look over in Revelation 21:27, it will be mentioned again. There it is regarding the New Jerusalem and the privilege of dwelling in the New Jerusalem in eternity. Verse 27:”and nothing unclean, no one who practices abomination and lying shall ever come into it, but only those whose names are written in the Lamb's book of life” Revelation 3:5: “He who overcomes shall thus be clothed in white garments; and I will not erase his name from the book of life…” I take it that is a promise. Once our names has been inscribed in the book of life it is there permanently, no erasures. Look over in Revelation 13:8: “And all who dwell on the earth will worship him, everyone whose name has not been written from the foundation of the world in the book of life of the Lamb who has been slain.” I believe the indication is the names have been in the book of life from the foundation of the world. You come over to Revelation 17:8: “…those who dwell on the earth will wonder whose name has not been written in the book of life from the foundation of the world when they see the beast; that he was and is not and will come.” The emphasis is in the sovereign work of God in choosing some from among sinful humanity to come to faith in His Son. But you have to be in the book of life otherwise you will not be part of the eternal kingdom which, as we will see, is emerging of heaven coming to earth because God's throne will now dwell on the new heavens and the new earth. And heaven will be right here in the new heavens and the new earth as we will see.

Revelation 20:13: “…they were judged, every one of them according to their deeds” The judgments are based on works because our works are a manifestation of our character, of whether we are believers or not.

I John 2:3-6: “And by this we know that we have come to know Him, if we keep His commandments. The one who says, ‘I have come to know Him’ and does not keep His commandments is a liar and the truth is not in him, but whoever keeps His word, in him the love of God has truly been perfected. By this we know we are in Him: the one who says he abides in Him ought himself to walk in the same manner as He walked.” You see our conduct is a manifestation of our character and those who have truly believed in Christ walk in obedience to Him and His word. So we will be judged on the basis of our works, on that principle. I John 3:7-9: “Little children, let no one deceive you; the one who practices righteousness is righteous, just as He is righteous; the one who practices sin is of the devil; for the devil sinned from the beginning. The Son of God appeared for this purpose, that He might destroy the works of the devil. No one who is born of God practices sin, because His seed abides in him…” It's that whole point we've been talking about in Romans, a little different analogy as we've compared with this passage in our study.

Come back to Matthew 7:13-16: “Enter by the narrow gate; for the gate is wide, and the way is broad that leads to destruction, and many are those who enter by it. For the gate is small, and the way is narrow that leads to life, and few are those who find it. Beware of the false prophets, who come to you in sheep's clothing but inwardly are ravenous wolves. You will know them by their fruits…” You see what they do will reveal their true character. Verses 16-17: “…grapes are not gathered from thorn bushes, nor figs from thistles, are they? Even so, every good tree bears good fruit; but the bad tree bears bad fruit.” You'll note it's not that the tree becomes something by its kind of fruit, but you know what kind of tree you have by the fruit. So you know whether a person is a believer or not by the life they live. It's not that they are saved by doing good things any more than you hang oranges on a thorn bush and it becomes an orange tree. But orange trees produce oranges. That's the point. The seed of God abides in us.

Verses 18-21: “A good tree cannot produce bad fruit nor can a bad tree produce good fruit. Every tree that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire. So then, you will know them by their fruits. Not everyone who says to Me, ‘Lord, Lord’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but he who does the will of My Father who is in heaven…” You're not saved by doing that will, but those who have come to believe in Him. If any man be in Christ he is a new creature, a new creation. Old things have passed away, behold new things have come, in II Corinthians 5. So the pattern is what we have seen repeatedly. Matthew 7:22-23: “Many will say to Me on that day, ‘Lord, Lord did we not prophesy in Your name, and in Your name cast out demons, and in Your name perform many miracles?’ And then I will declare to them, ‘I never knew you; depart from Me you who practice lawlessness.’” You can go through certain forms of “godliness” but that doesn't mean you truly belong to Him. There is more to that than doing certain things. It's a life that produces the character of God as a result of God working in that life; the fruit of the Spirit is, in Galatians 5. So it's those who hear His word and respond to it.

Come to Luke 12. You see the principle here of judgment, why are they judged from the books of their deeds. He's talked about a master who has slaves and their accountability to him when he comes and calls them to account. Verses 47-48: “And that slave who knew his master's will and did not get ready or act in accord with his will, shall receive many lashes, but the one who did not know it and committed deeds worthy of a flogging will receive but few. And from everyone who has been given much, shall much be required; and to whom they entrusted much, of him they will ask all the more.” In other words there will be degrees of punishment. But you understand everyone at the Great White Throne is going to hell. But there will be degrees of punishment. Those who have been made aware of the truth of God, who have heard it repeatedly and scorned it, they have had greater light, greater knowledge. They have greater accountability. People always want to say, what about the heathen? What about those who never hear? Are they lost? Yes, they are lost, they are sinners. Are they going to hell? Yes, they are. Some people say, but that's not fair. I usually stop the conversation there and say, let's leave those who have never heard in the hands of a righteous God. We know what He does will be just. What about you? You have heard, I just told you, you have no excuse. You have the greatest guilt. People want to be concerned about people who have never heard when they are the ones who have heard. But the principle is established here. So people have sat under the teaching of the word for years and years, they will come to the judgment and bear a greater responsibility. That's the principle. Why are the deeds there? It will be a judgment but everyone at the Great White Throne is going to hell.

Come back to Revelation 20:13: “And the sea gave up the dead which were in it, death and Hades gave up the dead which were in them; and they were judged every one of them according to their deeds.” The dead wherever they are, are called. I was reading some on this and they were talking about the Greeks and the Romans. And for them not having a land burial was a terrible thing. Even today people have an idea; you want to get buried at Fairview cemetery. Why do I want to be buried at Fairview cemetery? Why do you want to have the cemetery where you have the best view? Look, on a hill, isn't it pretty? You can see all out. Did you ever see anyone sitting on his gravestone looking out? No, but we have something in our minds, it ought to be a beautiful place for my body to decay and rot and return to dust. And so it was among Greeks and Romans, they didn't want to be buried at sea because the fish will come and eat your body. Then somebody is going to catch the fish and eat it. And how will the Lord ever put things back together? Well, that's no more problem for Him than when the worms eat my body and then somebody uses the worm to catch a fish. Do you think it's a problem? Did God say here, I've been working on this a long time, I think I'll be able to get most of these people put back together again? It's not going to be a problem.

But what we're being told here is the dead, wherever their bodies were cast and whatever has happened to them, Almighty God will call them back together again. That's the point. I don't have a problem over cremation or burial or whatever. I think we ought to have a proper respect in understanding the body, but it doesn't particularly concern me whether they burn my body to ashes or put it in the ground so it will return to dust. God will take care of it and call it back in whatever way He does. I have an appreciation for the body and the fact it's going to be resurrected and what the scripture says about it, but here everybody who died, wherever they were, they are called back to appear before Him. There is no escape.

They were judged; note this, everyone, all from wherever they were died, where they've been, because this resurrection includes every unbeliever because at this point every unbeliever had been killed. There are no living unbelievers, only resurrected unbelievers. Because remember at the end of the thousand years all the unbelievers joined in a rebellion that were living on the earth and they were wiped out by fire. So now we only have resurrected unbelievers standing before Christ in bodies that will not be subject to death again, physical death.

Every one of them will be there individually. We think of all these problems God has to deal with. How is He going to judge every single person individually? I don't have any idea. I don't think it's a problem for Him. It would be an overwhelming problem for me and for you. I take it the infinite God will handle it and it will be all carried out. Every single person has his individual judgment; every one of them according to their deeds. The individual unbeliever stands before the throne, the books are opened. What is in those books concerning everything he has done in his life unfolded. And the name is not in the book of life, then judgment on the basis of that. You heard the gospel, you heard My word again and again and you refused, you rejected it. You will be worthy of more severe punishment.

Verse 14: “And death and Hades were thrown into the lake of fire…” I take it what it is primarily talking about here is death and Hades, all the dead, all those who were in Hades because what happens to the unbeliever who dies today? He goes to Hades. Remember Luke 16? The rich man died and being in torment he lifted up his eyes, he was suffering in Hades. Unbelievers who die don't go immediately to hell, unbelievers who die go immediately to Hades, a place of suffering and torment. It's like going to jail, awaiting going to prison. The type of punishment is the same; we're talking about the duration of the punishment. It is like a person in a small cell in a jail awaiting transfer to prison, what's the difference, generally speaking? Well when you go to prison you are there for a longer time. The jail is more temporary. Don't push the analogy beyond the point I'm making. That's the difference between Hades and hell, because the rich man in Luke 16 is in great torment.

Everyone who has appeared at this judgment, the dead who appeared here, the dead who were called back from Hades and moved back into those bodies that had been resurrected from the sea and from wherever else their bodies had been placed and scattered and so on. All are cast into hell.

Verse 14: “…This is the second death, the lake of fire.” That was the blessing of being part of the first resurrection. Revelation 20:6: “Blessed and holy is the one who has part in the first resurrection; over these the second death has no power, but they will be priests of God and of Christ and will reign with Him for a thousand years.” And that's just the beginning. We'll see when we move on into chapters 21-22. The second death has no power over believers. But everyone resurrected at the Great White Throne, they are cast into hell. This is the second death, the lake of fire. Why is it called the second death? Well remember the key idea in death in scripture is separation. James 2:26, “the body without the spirit is dead.” When the spirit is separated from the body it is physically dead. We are spiritually dead, Ephesians 2, because we “are dead in our trespasses and sins” and that separates us from God. And the second death is eternal separation from God in the suffering and fires of hell. So the second death is the lake of fire. People say, do you think it is literal fire? Well, it calls it a lake of fire, doesn't call it a lake of water, and doesn't call it a lake of air. It calls it a lake of fire. And that would fit with the rich man in Luke 16 who will be resurrected at this judgment for his final sentencing. And where is he? I am tormented in this flame. If someone could just come and touch his finger in water and touch my tongue, how good it would feel. Well, fire would consume them and burn them up. Fire doesn't burn up resurrected bodies. Just like our resurrected, glorified bodies will have the capacity for joy and happiness and pleasure, the resurrected body of the unbeliever will have capacity for great pain and suffering but not to die for relief.

Revelation 20:15: “And if anyone's name was not found written in the book of life, he was thrown into the lake of fire.” This is as serious as it can get. If you're not in the book of life you're going to hell.

Matthew 8:11-12: “And I say to you that many shall come from east and west and recline at the table with Abraham, and Isaac and Jacob in the kingdom of heaven; but the sons of the kingdom shall be cast out into outer darkness, in that place there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.” You know hell is not only called a lake of fire, it is also called a place of outer darkness. There will be no fellowship, no friendship. People say, I'm going to hell; all my friends will be there. But you know what? You won't be talking with them; you won't be fellowshipping with them. It's a place of outer darkness, a place of isolation, pain and suffering in isolation, a place of weeping and gnashing of teeth.

Look over in Matthew 13 in these parables of the kingdom. Verses 41-2: “The Son of Man will send forth His angels and they will gather out His kingdom all stumbling blocks, and those who commit lawlessness, and will cast them into the furnace of fire; in that place there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.” Hell is described as a furnace of fire, weeping and gnashing of teeth, a place of outer darkness. Verse 43: “…the righteous will shine forth as the sun in the kingdom of their Father…” Verses 49-50: “So it will be at the end of the age; the angels shall come forth and take the wicked out form among the righteous, and will cast them into the furnace of fire; there shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth”

Turn to Matthew 22:13: “Then the king said to the servants, ‘bind him hand and foot and throw him into the outer darkness; in that place there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.’” It's a place of fire and burning, a place of darkness, outer darkness, excluded from God.

Matthew 25:41 is the context of the judgment of the sheep and the goats, but you'll note the ultimate destiny. “Then He will say to those on His left, ‘depart from me cursed ones, into the eternal fire which has been prepared for the devil and his angels’” Verse 46: “And these will go away into eternal punishment, but the righteous to eternal life.” I was reading from a man who would be included as an evangelical. He said he didn't believe in eternal hell anymore, not because of what scripture said, but just because it's too awful a concept for him to be able to accept. But you'll note right here; it is eternal punishment, or it is eternal life. It's not arbitrary to decide I just don't want to believe in eternal punishment. It's more awful than you can consider, if you start to dwell on it. It's hard for my mind to get my thoughts to even try to think about an eternity in the presence of God, the glory of His presence, the happiness, and the blessings. But to think of people that will be for eternity suffering indescribable pain forever and ever and ever. It doesn't surprise me that people don't want to believe in it, I can't fathom it either. But Jesus Christ speaks clearly about the significance of it.

Go to Luke 12. Look at what Jesus says here and the way He puts it. Verses 4-5: “And I say to you My friends, do not be afraid of those who kill the body and after that they have no more that they can do. But I will warn you whom to fear: Fear the One who, after He has killed, has authority to cast into hell; Yes, I tell you, fear Him!” That's a solemn way to put it. There is no reason to fear man. Once he has killed the body there is nothing else he can do. Jesus said, I'll tell you whom you better fear, you better fear the One who after He has killed the body, is able and had authority to cast you into hell. Yes, I tell you, fear Him. This is Jesus talking, the One who knew His Father with an intimacy beyond what anyone else could know. And what does He say? I tell you, fear Him. Even as believers we get an idea that God is not serious about sin. He's very serious and Jesus said, we better be very serious. There is this cavalier attitude about God like He is some grandfatherly figure that just winks at sin and doesn't take it seriously. Jesus said, “You better fear Him.” Could anybody tell us about God the Father more fully than God the Son? What does He say? You better fear Him. Am I afraid of God? No, not as His child, but there better be a proper fear and respect. And that should cause us to fear sin and be afraid of sin in that sense. I do not want to offend God. Even as my Father. But the unbeliever has good reason, and a good passage to share with unbelievers. I know God is a God of love and I believe He is a God of love. Don't you believe Jesus told us that His Father was a God of love? Yes, I do believe that. Do you know what else He told us? You better fear My Father because after He has killed your body He has the authority to cast you into hell. And multitudes He will.

Just come back one more time to Revelation 20:15: “And if anyone's name was not found written in the book of life, he was thrown into the lake of fire.” We'll be reminded again when we get to Revelation 21:8: “But for the cowardly, and unbelieving, abominable, and murderers, and immoral persons, and sorcerers and idolaters, and all liars, their part will be in the lake that burns with fire and brimstone, which is the second death.” These are serious matters; we're talking about eternal destinies. We get so intimidated and tongue-tied, we're afraid to talk about this. People might not want to hear it. I'm embarrassed, what will they think about me? Do you think when we're standing there on the brink of eternity we're going to think, I'm glad I didn't get embarrassed and speak up. We understand; do we really believe this? Do we believe people are going to be sentenced to an eternal hell? Do we believe that God tells the truth? What more important then, to tell them of the salvation that has been provided? What a salvation that can rescue people from an eternal hell. How gracious God is. He is a God of love and grace and patience, longsuffering and “not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to the knowledge of the truth,” as Peter wrote. And we talk about an awful judgment and an awful destiny. We think that is so terrible, that is so awful. And that ought to be a motivation to us, and we have the message that people must hear because faith comes by hearing and hearing by the word of Christ. And their only hope for salvation is that someone tells them like someone told us so that they perhaps by the grace of God will come to believe in the Savior and know what it is to be delivered from wrath to come, looking forward to a resurrection of life and not a resurrection of judgment.

Let's pray together. Thank You, Lord, for Your truth. Lord, the words that You have given are true. Awful as they are, You have graciously made known matters of eternal destiny—two resurrections, two destinies. Lord, what grace, what kindness You have bestowed upon us that we are privileged to know and believe in Your Son and be called Your children, that we have the treasure of the gospel committed to these frail earthen vessels so that we might give forth that message and You might receive glory as Jesus is made known. Thank You for the wonder of our salvation that has rescued us from wrath and condemnation and given us the eternal hope of glory. Thank You for the privilege we have to share that with others. In Christ's name, amen.