Slides: Judgment Day

Judgment Day
David Feddes

Revelation 20:11-21:8

¹¹ Then I saw a great white throne and him who was seated on it. Earth and sky fled from his presence, and there was no place for them. ¹² And I saw the dead, great and small, standing before the throne, and books were opened. Another book was opened, which is the book of life. The dead were judged according to what they had done as recorded in the books. ¹³ The sea gave up the dead that were in it, and death and Hades gave up the dead that were in them, and each person was judged according to what he had done. ¹⁴ Then death and Hades were thrown into the lake of fire. The lake of fire is the second death. ¹⁵ If anyone's name was not found written in the book of life, he was thrown into the lake of fire.

^21:1 Then I saw a new heaven and a new earth, for the first heaven and the first earth had passed away, and there was no longer any sea. ² I saw the Holy City, the new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride beautifully dressed for her husband. ³ And I heard a loud voice from the throne saying, "Now the dwelling of God is with men, and he will live with them. They will be his people, and God himself will be with them and be their God. ⁴ He will wipe every tear from their eyes. There will be no more death or mourning or crying or pain, for the old order of things has passed away."

⁵ He who was seated on the throne said, "I am making everything new!" Then he said, "Write this down, for these words are trustworthy and true." ⁶ He said to me: "It is done. I am the Alpha and the Omega, the Beginning and the End. To him who is thirsty I will give to drink without cost from the spring of the water of life. ⁷ He who overcomes will inherit all this, and I will be his God and he will be my son. ⁸ But the cowardly, the unbelieving, the vile, the murderers, the sexually immoral, those who practice magic arts, the idolaters and all liars--their place will be in the fiery lake of burning sulfur. This is the second death."

Judgment Day

• Who will judge?
• Who will be judged?
• What will be judged?
• What will judgments be?

Who will judge? Jesus

The Father has entrusted all judgment to the Son. (Jesus, John 5:22).

God raised him from the dead… he is the one whom God appointed as judge of the living and the dead. (Peter, Acts 10:40-42).

God has set a day when he will judge the world with justice by the man he has appointed. He has given proof of this to all men by raising him from the dead. (Paul, Acts 17:31).

Who will be judged?
All of us

I saw the dead, great and small, standing before the throne… each person was judged according to what he had done. (Revelation 20:12

We must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, that each one may receive what is due him for the things done while in the body, whether good or bad. (2 Corinthians 5:10)

What will be judged?
Every deed, word, and thought

Every deed

God will bring every deed into judgment, including every hidden thing, whether it is good or evil. (Ecclesiastes 12:14).

The day of the LORD is near for all nations. As you have done, it will be done to you; your deeds will return upon your own head. (Obadiah 1:15)

But the day of the Lord will come like a thief … and the earth and the works that are done on it will be exposed. (2 Peter 3:10)

Every word

"There is nothing concealed that will not be disclosed, or hidden that will not be made known. What you have said in the dark will be heard in the daylight, and what you have whispered in the ear in the inner rooms will be proclaimed from the roofs." (Luke 12:2-3)

"I tell you that men will have to give account on the day of judgment for every careless word they have spoken. For by your words you will be acquitted, and by your words you will be condemned." (Matthew 12:36-37)

Every thought and attitude

I the Lord search the heart and examine the mind, to reward a man … according to what his deeds deserve. (Jeremiah 17:10)

God will bring to light what is hidden in darkness and will expose the motives of men's hearts. (1 Corinthians 4:5).

"The word of God... judges the thoughts and attitudes of the heart. Nothing in all creation is hidden from God's sight. Everything is laid bare before the eyes of him to whom we must give account.”  (Hebrews 4:12-13)

The books of deeds
and the book of life

I saw the dead, great and small, standing before the throne, and books were opened. Another book was opened, which is the book of life. The dead were judged according to what they had done as recorded in the books... If anyone's name was not found written in the book of life, he was thrown into the lake of fire. (Revelation 20:12, 15)

What will judgments be?
Eternal reward or punishment

Multitudes who sleep in the dust of the earth will awake: some to everlasting life, others to shame and everlasting contempt. (Daniel 12:2)

They will go away to eternal punishment, but the righteous to eternal life. (Matt 25:46)

Those who have done good will rise to live, and those who have done evil will rise to be condemned. (John 5:28-29)

Eternal punishment

See, the Lord is coming with fire, and his chariots are like a whirlwind; he will bring down his anger with fury, and his rebuke with flames of fire. (Isaiah 66:15)

The Son of Man will send out his angels, and they will weed out of his kingdom everything that causes sin and all who do evil. They will throw them into the fiery furnace, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth. (Matthew 13:41-42)

Degrees of punishment

That servant who knows his master's will and does not get ready or does not do what his master wants will be beaten with many blows. But the one who does not know and does things deserving punishment will be beaten with few blows. From everyone who has been given much, much will be demanded; and from the one who has been entrusted with much, much more will be asked. (Luke 12:47-48)

Eternal happiness

Well done, good and faithful servant! You have been faithful with a few things; I will put you in charge of many things. Come and share your master's happiness! (Matthew 25:21)

Come, you who are blessed by my Father; take your inheritance, the kingdom prepared for you since the creation of the world. (Matthew 25:34)

Degrees of reward

“The first came before him, saying, ‘Lord, your mina has made ten minas more.’ And he said to him, ‘Well done, good servant! Because you have been faithful in a very little, you shall have authority over ten cities.’ And the second came, saying, ‘Lord, your mina has made five minas.’ And he said to him, ‘And you are to be over five cities.’ … to everyone who has, more will be given.” (Luke 19:16-19)

If what he has built survives, he will receive his reward. If it is burned up, he will suffer loss; he himself will be saved, but only as one escaping through the flames. (1 Corinthians 3:14-15)

But love your enemies, do good to them, and lend to them without expecting to get anything back. Then your reward will be great. (Luke 6:35)

For the Son of Man is going to come in his Father's glory with his angels, and then he will reward each person according to what he has done. (Matthew 16:27)

The Lord will reward everyone for whatever good he does. (Ephesians 6:8)

God is not unjust; he will not forget your work and the love you have shown him as you have helped his people and continue to help them. (Hebrews 6:10)