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 Sermon > Theme Words of Life |
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Title |
Heaven(9) - The Great White Throne Judgment (2) |
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Speaker |
Rev. Jaerock Lee |
Bible |
Revelation 20: 11-15 |
Date |
2007-01-28 |
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Passage
Revelation 20: 11-15
"Then 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. [12] And I saw the dead, the great and the small, standing before the throne, and books were opened; and another book was opened, which is the book of life; and the dead were judged from the things which were written in the books, according to their deeds. [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, every one of them according to their deeds. [14] Then death and Hades were thrown into the lake of fire. This is the second death, the lake of fire. [15] And if anyone's name was not found written in the book of life, he was thrown into the lake of fire."
Introduction
Dear brothers and sisters in Christ, members of over 5,000 branch churches in Korea and all over the world including the United States, United Kingdom, Canada, Honduras, Peru, Bolivia, El Salvador, Argentina, Germany, France, Russia, Belgium, Netherlands, China, Japan, Pakistan, Nepal, Indonesia, Philippines, Taiwan, India, Mongolia, Egypt, Israel, Kenya, Uganda, Democratic Republic of Congo, Burundi, Rwanda, Tanzania, Nigeria, Swaziland, South Africa, Botswana, Cote d'Ivoire, and local sanctuary members, those who are attending the service on the Internet all over the world, and television viewing audiences,
This is the ninth session of the lecture series, "Heaven". Today I will be continuing from the last session talking to you about the Great White Throne Judgment.
Let us briefly review last week's message. The Great White Throne Judgment will take place on this earth, and the Judge, God the Father Himself will come down to this earth wearing a personified form.
Those who are saved will be placed on the right hand side of God's throne and those who are not will be on the left of it. The souls who are not saved will not actually appear directly before the throne itself to receive the judgment. They will stay in the Hades like normal, but it's just that the gate between the spiritual spaces will open so it will seem like they are in the same space.
The judgment will be carried out in this setting, but God the Father will not conduct it alone. He will give the authority of judgment to God the Son and the Holy Spirit as well. That way, all three of the God the Trinity will become the judge.
Furthermore, the four prophets, who are exempt from the Great Judgment will assist the judgment, so that the judgment will be even more perfect.
In addition, God the Father will have the jurors as well, to have a perfect composition for the judgment.
Body
Dear brothers and sisters in Christ, now, who are the ones who will play the role of the jurors in the Great Judgment, and how will the Judgment be carried out? First, the jurors in the Great White Throne Judgment will be the 24 elders, who are mentioned in the book of Revelation.
I will tell you about these 24 elders in detail in chapter 4 of the Revelation lecture series. At that time, I will just let you know who some of the 24 elders are, and how they will carry out the role of the jurors.
The 24 elders will first receive the judgment prior to assisting the Great Judgment as jurors.
When God the Trinity, the Judge, begins the Great Judgment together with the four prophets, the apostle Paul, who is the highest among the 24 elders, will take the Judgment Stand.
Apostle Paul was the greatest among the apostles; he communicated with God in very great depth, and he performed many signs and wonders.
On the judgment stand, he will testify to how he loved the Lord and how he was guided by God, even under so many trials. Then, God the Trinity and the four prophets will acknowledge that all his testimonies are true, and he will receive glory, authority, and rewards.
After the apostle Paul, each of those who will be one of the 24 elders will take the judgment stand according to their rank, and they will receive the rewards from God the Father.
In heavenly kingdom, women will have a separate rank from the men, and there will be some among the women who will receive the judgment of reward before the Great Judgment takes place.
For example, they are Mary Magdalene and the Virgin Mary, who are the first and the second in the women's rank.
When Mary Magdalene and the Virgin Mary stand in the judgment, the perfectness and truthfulness of their goodness and their love for the Lord will be revealed.
When they testify to what they have done, this itself will become a delight for the Father God, who has conducted human cultivation. Therefore, coming from His humanity, He will give additional rewards as a bonus.
But in fact, the apostle Paul, Mary Magdalene, and the Virgin Mary will have received their complete rewards before the Great Judgment just like Elijah, Enoch, Abraham, and Moses, but they will stand in the judgment once again.
The reason why they will be able to receive their complete rewards even before the Great Judgment is as follows: The apostle Paul is the 5th in heavenly rank. He is the first among the people in the New Testament, and Mary Magdalene and the Virgin Mary have accomplished perfectness to be the 1st and the 2nd in the women's rank.
For your information, there is a story circulating in the Roman Catholic Church. The story tells that the Virgin Mary died and they conducted the funeral, but when one of the Lord's disciples arrived late and opened the lid of the coffin, they could see only the burial shroud.
Reflecting on this, in Jerusalem at Shrine of the Tomb of Mary there is only an empty stone coffin in the tomb of the Virgin Mary. The Bible says they could not find the body of Moses, therefore, I hope you will realize what this story implies.
Brothers and sisters, then, how will the 24 elders play the role of the juror in the Great Judgment?
Actually, the role that the 24 elders are playing is a little different from that of the jurors on this earth.
On this earth, the jurors can decide whether the criminal is guilty or not, but the 24 elders in the Great White Throne Judgment will guarantee the judgment of God, the Judge.
For example, let us say that a person who passionately loved God and was ardently faithful from the depth of his heart were to take the stand in the judgment.
Then, he would be compared with a certain elder, like the apostle Paul, who was faithful to the Lord with all his life, and according to the result of that measurement, this person will be given rewards.
On the contrary however, let us say another person is standing in the judgment. He believed in God, but could not overcome persecutions and denied the Lord or bowed down before idol.
When he thinks from his standpoint, he may give the excuse that because of such severe persecutions he could not keep his faith.
But among the 24 elders, because of Peter who was crucified upside down, or because of Daniel, who kept his faith in the persecutions suffered, he can give no excuses.
Also, even if he does give excuses from his standpoint, when the 24 elders testify to how they kept their faith even in fierce persecutions, the pointlessness of his excuse will soon be revealed.
Therefore, God will elect people who have accomplished very precious heart in each aspect such as faith, hope, love, faithfulness, goodness, truthfulness, and integrity, and appoint them as the 24 elders.
God the Father has let me know who some of the 24 elders are, and I will tell you about who they are and how great their glory will be in the Revelation lecture series.
I think the reason why God has not let me know all the names of the 24 elders is because we still have some time until human cultivation will be completed.
In these last days there will be many people who love God passionately and will be working faithfully with all their lives for the kingdom of God.
Therefore, among you who are listening to this message I hope there will be people who can get to the position of 24 elders, by accomplishing a spiritual heart that is like a jewel.
Dear brothers and sisters in Christ, God the Father, the Judge, will not conduct the judgment alone, but God the Son and the Holy Spirit will also be the Judge.
So, to have the perfect constitution in the Great Judgment, the judgment will have 24 elders like jurors and the four prophets who are the best of the fruit of human cultivation, who will assist in the Judgment.
Because it's the Final Judgment of human cultivation, God the Father will have many processes to add to the perfection of the judgment.
It is in this way that as the composition of the parts is made complete, the actual Great Judgment will begin.
First, those who are not saved will receive the judgment. They will not go before the Throne of God and see God face to face.
They are sinners who cannot see God face to face, so they will receive the judgment as they remain in Hades, but because the space of the Hades will be opened, they will feel like they are in the space of the first heaven. This is what I explained to you in the last session.
So, the judgment for those who are not saved will be very fearful and strict. I said God will judge those who are not saved, and He will begin with those who have heavier and more grave sins and go on to those who have lighter and less serious sins.
But it's not that each one will fall into hell right after each one is sentenced. Everybody together will fall into the lake of fire or the lake of sulfur and receive the eternal punishment only after judgment for all those who are not saved is finished.
About this, Revelation 21:8 says, "But for the cowardly and unbelieving and 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."
The lake of sulfur is 7 times hotter than the lake of fire. This is not for ordinary sinners but those who committed very serious sins. For example, they are the ones whose consciences have been seared as with hot iron, and those who opposed God's kingdom by blaspheming the Holy Spirit.
I already explained in the book about hell, the place for those who are not saved and about the punishments that they will receive in Hades before the Great White Throne Judgment, so please read them along with the books about heaven.
Brothers and sisters in Christ, after those who are not saved are judged and are throne into lake of fire or lake of sulfur, the judgment for those who are saved by faith will begin.
The judgment for those who are saved is not judgment for punishment, but judgment for rewards and the dwelling places in heaven, so we call it 'reward judgment'.
The promise of the Lord in Revelation 22:12 that says, "Behold, I am coming quickly, and My reward is with Me, to render to every man according to what he has done." will be fulfilled by this judgment. Therefore, those who will receive the reward judgment can go before God's throne, and the judgment will be carried out in a friendly and peaceful setting.
The reward judgment will also begin with those who have greater rewards and go on to those who have less. In the same way as in judgment of those not saved, every one who is saved will go into their respective dwelling place after all the judgment is over.
About these different dwelling places in heaven, I will explain to you in detail from the next session.
Brothers and sisters in Christ, when the Great White Throne Judgment is carried out, the Law of Moses, the faith of Abraham, and the testimonies of the jurors become the standard of judgment, but there are also other materials and evidences that become the ground of judgment.
About this Revelation 22:12 says, "And I saw the dead, the great and the small, standing before the throne, and books were opened; and another book was opened, which is the book of life; and the dead were judged from the things which were written in the books, according to their deeds." The book of life in this passage is the book that records the names of those who are sealed as God's children by receiving the salvation of the spirit.
Therefore, as said in Revelation 22:15, those whose names are not recorded in this book will be thrown into the lake of fire.
And it also says everyone is judged according to what he has done, as written in the books.
What each of those who are not saved did on this earth will be recorded in the books and the contents of the book will be the decisive evidence for the judgment.
Everything each one did from the birth to the death will be recorded in the books in heaven by the angels.
Matthew 12:36 says, "But I tell you that every careless word that people speak, they shall give an accounting for it in the day of judgment."
As said, every single word you say will be written in the books and they will become the grounds for your judgment. It will be so for the words spoken, so how will it be concerning your deeds?
If you slandered, cursed at, talked behind someone's back; if you struck, or got angry, or fought with somebody; if you committed murder, adultery, or theft; even if you just spit on the ground, it will all be recorded in those books.
Not only your sins but also your good deeds will all be recorded.
That is why Jesus said in Matthew 6:4, "so that your giving will be in secret; and your Father who sees what is done in secret will reward you."
Latter part of Romans 2:16 says that the day is "when, according to my gospel, God will judge the secrets of men through Christ Jesus."
But those who have accepted Jesus Christ and are saved have nothing to worry about.
The sins of one who believes in the Lord are forgiven by the blood of the Lord at the time of accepting the Lord, so these contents in the book will also be erased. It's just as Psalm 103:12 says, "As far as the east is from the west, So far has He removed our transgressions from us."
If you commit sins after accepting the Lord, you have to turn away from the heart and act in the light. Then God will forgive your sins.
It's just as 1 John 1:7 says, "but if we walk in the Light as He Himself is in the Light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus His Son cleanses us from all sin."
But even if you rely on the price of the blood of the Lord, when you commit sins that cannot be forgiven, your name might be erased from the book of life.
As I explained in the second session of the heaven lecture series, it's the case where you commit sins that lead to death, and the Holy Spirit in you is extinguished.
Among them are sins of blaspheming, opposing, and speaking against the Holy Spirit. Those who commit these sins will fall into the lake of sulfur in hell. But suppose these people are arguing that they did not blaspheme, and they did not stand against, or speak against the Holy Spirit.
Then, God will show another kind of evidence other than the contents written in the book.
He will open a space in the third heaven. There is a sea of glass, which is like crystal, in front of the throne of God located in the third heaven, namely the heavenly kingdom. On that sea, God will show that person's blaspheming, opposing, and speaking against the Holy Spirit.
In the first part of Revelation 4:6, it says, "and before the throne there was something like a sea of glass, like crystal." Yes, there is a sea of glass, like crystal in front of the throne of God.
When we look at the clear sea, we can see the fish and seaweed in the sea. In the same way, sea of glass carries the meaning of seeing everything through. When a life is reflected upon this sea, all the heart, the thoughts, the mind, the language, actions… that is, everything will be revealed.
At the time of the Great White Throne Judgment, God will show the things of the past on this sea of glass as needed.
All the things that people did on this earth will be shown as if they are happening right now, to give the evidence for the judgment for each one.
Therefore, nobody can deny what he has done by giving a false testimony.
Even in this world, we have voice recorders and cameras to record all sounds and scenes and keep them for a long time. How much more perfect would the cameras in the heavenly kingdom be, where God the almighty reigns?
And, it's not only the voice and the scene; even your thoughts and the mind will be recorded when you speak a word or do something. Brothers and sisters in Christ, the aroma of your prayer that you offered up on this earth can also be grounds for your judgment.
There are gold censers in heaven to contain all the aromas of your prayer offered from this earth. And according to the amount of your prayers for the kingdom and righteousness of God, your rewards will be different in measure.
For example, one senior deaconess, who had been praying day and night since the beginning of the church passed away last year.
She didn't accomplish sanctification and so she went to 2nd kingdom of heaven, but God let us know that she has the greatest amount of reward among all those who are in the second kingdom of heaven.
In this case, at the Great Judgment, God will show the aroma of her prayers that fills the golden censer to the brim, to show that how just and fair His judgment is.
It's not only about your prayers. God the Father remembers all your devotion and work, and He will certainly pay you back according to what you have done.
Conclusion
Dear brothers and sisters, I explained to you about the Great Judgment in two sessions. You could understand how grandly the Great White Throne Judgment will be carried out, and it will be conducted in perfect justice and love of God, in a very orderly manner.
All these things are from the true word of God, and they will take place as explained.
Now, as you understand this, how should you lead your life from now on?
As said in Matthew 10:42, "And whoever in the name of a disciple gives to one of these little ones even a cup of cold water to drink, truly I say to you, he shall not lose his reward," God is God of love who wants to give more rewards to us.
But because God is also God of justice, the Bible many times tells us that He will give back to us according to how much we sowed with faith, how much we worked, and what we have done.
The dwelling place and rewards that are decided in the Great White Throne Judgment will not change forever. Once you get into the kingdom of heaven, there is no more chance to earn more rewards.
Therefore, I hope you will be wise believers who will not waste this time given on this earth but store more rewards in heaven and advance into better heavenly dwelling places.
I pray in the name of the Lord that you will go into New Jerusalem and enjoy the greatest happiness forever.
[AMEN] |
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