Revelation Sermon - 53
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Revelation: Open Up the Books
Revelation 20:11-15
1. Introduction – Today we come to the final judgment scene of Revelation.
a. Next week, we’ll start in on ch.21 – and we’ll come to one of the most glorious phrases in all of the Bible… “God’s dwelling place is now among his people.”
i. It’s a scene that the whole of Revelation…the whole of the Bible since Genesis 3, has been building towards.
1. But that’s next week. This week, we have to read, study and apply this final judgment scene.
a. It is a scene that can bring mixed emotions – hope and sorrow…joy and grief.
b. When I say this is the final judgment scene, I mean that in two different ways.
i. Over the past few months, we’ve read a lot about judgment, but in our study of Revelation, this is the last one we will encounter. From a literary standpoint, this is the last judgment scene.
1. But, these 5 verses here in Revelation 20 describe for us the actual final judgment that will take place after Jesus comes again at the end of this age in order to inaugurate God’s kingdom here on earth.
c. Remember the purpose of such judgment scenes. They aren’t there to show God’s vindictiveness or harshness.
i. This scene, and others like it, are there to show humanity the reality of sin, the seriousness of sin and the reality of punishment for ignoring God.
1. The previous scenes have been fired off like warning shorts. One third, one quarter…whole. The previous scenes have been warning people of the totality of coming judgment in order to drive them to repentance.
a. But here, God’s patient forbearance has come to an end. God, who patiently delays punishment so that all may come to repentance, begins to execute his just, fair, and righteous judgments on those who reject him.
i. And for good measure, death and the grave are punished too.
d. This morning, as we’ve done in the past, we’re going to look where John looked. I want us to see what John saw.
i. This morning we’re going to look at 6 aspects of the final judgment I see present in this passage.
1. They’re there on your handout…we’ll look at the reality, scope, basis, escape, penalty, and warning of the final judgment.
2. Reality – So, let’s look where John was looking. I saw a great white throne. A few points worth mentioning here.
a. John says ‘a great throne. The Greek word is ‘maja’ it’s a big, colossal throne.
i. John writes, “I saw a great, maja, white…throne. White, as we’ve seen throughout this study represents purity and holiness.
1. But what stands out to me about this throne is the lack of activity happening around it.
a. Throne…that’s the dominant theme in this letter.
i. For all the crazy and confusing visions…a throne, the throne, God’s throne stands at the centre of it all.
1. 38 times a throne is mentioned in this letter. Everything happens relative to the throne in heaven that is occupied by God.
b. And this scene here, is the 6th throne room scene of Revelation. The first is the most famous.
i. Chapters 4&5 John saw a door open in heaven. He saw 4 living beings and 24 elders worshipping around.
1. John saw a rainbow, a sea like glass, lamps of fire, a flurry of activity.
a. He saw the Lamb stake the scroll and break the seals. It’s a glorious scene.
c. The next throne room scene is in ch.7. There is a great multitude singing God’s praises…around the throne.
i. In the 3rd such scene, there is silence in heaven for half an hour.
1. The 4th throne room scene contains the words of the Hallelujah Chorus.
a. In the fifth throne room scene, we see Babylon the Great judged and destroyed. It’s the longest throne room scene.
d. But here, in the final throne room scene, what strikes me is this. Look where John is looking…what does he see? What does he hear?
i. The singing is quieted. The lamps and rainbow and sea…pushed to the side.
1. And what we’re left with is simply a throne, a great white throne…God’s great white throne of judgment.
a. And God is sitting on it…along with Jesus because the Bible is clear that both will act as Judge on the day of judgment.
i. Everything else we know about the God’s throne room is pushed to the side…nothing else matters here but the throne, and the One sitting on it.
e. It’s a scene so perfect in its holiness that the earth and sky, which have been corrupted by human sin – flee at the sight.
i. The intent here is twofold – since the earth and sky have been corrupted, God must usher in a new heaven and new earth in his new creation.
1. Also, if the earth and sky can’t find a place to hide during the final judgment…neither will you.
a. Despite our lack of attention on the subject, despite the fact that judgment isn’t a popular theme to study and preach on these days, know this…this is going to happen.
i. Judgement will take place. And it will either be a day of joy and glory for you…or a day of sorrow and grief.
1. I saw a great white throne…and one sitting on it.
3. Scope – John goes on to say. I saw the dead. And in vv12&13 John speaks about the scope of the final judgment.
a. Look at the words and phrases used.
i. Great and small. No matter your social status. No one is too big and rich and powerful to escape this.
1. And no one is too insignificant to be overlooked.
a. Then he says the sea gave up its dead, the grave gave up its dead.
i. No matter how you died, or where you died…judgment will come.
b. What the scene stresses is the universality of judgment. This will be the largest gathering of human beings in history.
i. Not one descendant of Adam and Eve will be missing.
1. This scene, playing out before God’s great white throne, will be God’s final words on the personal, immortal destiny of every soul who has ever lived.
4. Basis – Then we come to a pivotal point in the passage. “And the books were opened…and all were judged according to their deeds.”
a. What is the basis of God’s judgment? Deeds. Really? Deeds? Yes – the Bible is clear that we are judged according to our deeds.
i. So, what is this some kind of salvation by works? Absolutely not…it is simply telling us that our deeds are more serious than we think.
1. Deeds reveal values. Deeds reveal character. Deeds reveal true allegiances. And deeds reveal what we truly believe.
a. We can recite the Apostles’ Creed, we can study the Bible and sing the hymns, but what we truly believe is worked out in how we use our time, how we spend our money, and to what we give our attention.
ii. On the final accounting, it will be according to our deeds, because deeds are the most reliable indicator of where we have truly put our faith.
b. Here, John is working with the long-held idea that our deeds and actions are recorded in heaven’s ledger. Augustine called it the Divine Memory.
i. It’s a sobering and humiliating thought. The books were opened…books, plural…lots of books…maybe one book for each person who has ever lived.
1. And in these books…everything is there. Nothing is forgotten. God’s court has all the evidence in needs.
a. It’s all there. Public deeds, private deeds. Public attitudes, private attitudes.
i. Jesus said, “there is nothing covered up that will not be revealed.’
c. Imagine if just sins you’ve committed this morning were recorded and handed to me to read out loud in front of the church.
i. If just the sins you committed this morning were read out loud here, you’d want to crawl under the pews and try to burrow your way out of here.
1. Well, at the final judgment, every sin committed, every sin of omission, every lustful thought, every harbored grudge, every word of gossip you spoke about someone, every word of gossip you spread about someone…all of this and more…will be opened.
d. You should see the book on me. Actually, you shouldn’t. It’s very messy. It’s all there.
i. Line after line, notation after notation. Sin after sin…failure to trust Jesus after failure to trust Jesus.
1. Nothing, absolutely nothing is missing. It’s all there. Nothing is left out or forgotten.
a. I imagine your book, looks a lot like my book.
i. And the books were opened, and all were judged according to their deeds.
1. What a sobering and humiliating thought.
a. If that thought doesn’t make you want to shape up and throw yourself on God’s mercy and rely on God’s Spirit for transformation, I don’t know what will.
5. Escape – But what if I told you there is a way to escape the coming final judgment.
a. There’s a way to escape…because there’s a second book. V. 12 says, “then another book was opened…”
i. Another book? Yes, another book…and this book is called “The Book of Life.
1. According to Revelation 13:8 the full title of this book is “The Book of Life of the Lamb that was slain.”
a. The Book of life that belongs to the Lamb that was slain…isn’t that the most beautiful title you’ve ever heard?
b. The Bible states that, not only does the heavenly ledger record every deed…it records every name of every person who has been saved by God’s grace.
i. Let’s ponder the title of this second book for a while.
1. The book…not of deeds, but the book of life, which belongs to the Lamb.
a. This makes it clear that our election and salvation is only through the Lamb, through Jesus.
c. The Book of life, which belongs to the Lamb…and the title gets longer and better…who was slain.
i. This means that this book records the names of those who are saved by means of the atoning death of Jesus for our sin.
1. Salvation is only received through faith in Jesus.
a. This is a reminder of what we looked at last week. That Jesus Christ died for our sins. He was our Substitute, dying in our place, paying the price for our sin on our behalf.
d. And this is what’s so amazing about the second book of this scene. There’s no record of deeds in this book.
i. No deeds, only names. Because, as Paul wrote, “There is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus.”
1. And instead of being judged by our own deeds, believers are justified and judged by Jesus’ perfect deeds, and the righteousness of Jesus is imputed on to Christians.
e. For those of us who are in Christ, who have accepted Jesus’ sacrifice on our behalf…what assurance this brings for us.
i. Knowing that we will not be condemned but vindicated on the day of judgment.
1. Vindicated, not because of who we are and what we’ve done…but vindicated because of who Jesus is and what he’s done for us.
a. Now, listen to me and listen to me well…this doesn’t mean that your deeds are useless and insignificant.
i. You can’t continue on in your sin as if your salvation is some sort of fire insurance.
1. If you are truly saved by the atoning death of Jesus, the proof will be in your actions, in our character, in your allegiances. Deeds are the most reliable indicator of where you have truly put your faith.
f. Actually, on second though…you should see the heavenly ledger on me.
i. Because the truth is this, every sin I have confessed to God…sin after sin, line after line, notation after to notation…if I have confessed those sins to God…they are crossed out.
1. Erased by the blood of the Lamb. On every page…sin after sin, but if we confess those sins to God, we are forgiven of those sins.
a. So, on every page, sin after sin…and on every page, confession after confession – eraser mark after eraser mark…
i. On every page, words like “Forgiven” “Pardoned” and “Canceled” – written in the blood of the Lamb who died for my sins.
ii. Not only that, but these sins that are confessed to God are not held against us – the Bible says that they are put behind his back…that God separates us from our confessed sins as far as the east is from the west…
1. What a thought! And if you have placed your faith in the atoning death of Jesus, then your name too is written in the Book of Life that belongs to the Lamb that was slain.
a. And because of that, we should continually come before God in confession. Not praying a prayer of salvation over and over again. We need only do that once.
i. But we must come before God and confess our sins to him so we can feel the freedom of his forgiveness anew.
1. Confession of sin is a thoroughly biblical practice, and one that we need to be in the habit of doing.
6. Penalty – Then John speaks of the penalty of the final judgment.
a. For those who do not heed the warning calls, who don’t respond in faith to the Lamb…the penalty is judgment in the lake of fire.
i. We studied this in detail a couple of weeks ago, so we won’t today. But a reminder that just as for believers there is a second and higher life, for unbelievers there is also a second and deeper death.
1. Here, death itself is tossed in the lake of fire. Death isn’t natural. It is unnatural – brought into God’s good creation through human sin.
a. And in order for there to be a new creation, a new heaven and earth, the final enemy, death itself, must be done away with.
b. And death, the grace, and those who reject Jesus, share the same fate as the dragon, the beast and the false prophet…eternal conscious torment in the lake of fire. Eternal separation from God.
7. Warning – And hearing this passage this morning should cause us to do 2 things.
a. First – it should cause us to want Jesus to come back now. I want to experience God’s full kingdom.
i. I want to experience the new heaven and earth. I want to be welcomed into God’s eternal kingdom.
1. Please…Come Lord Jesus.
b. But, at the same time…hearing this passage should cause us to want Jesus to delay his coming. Delay? Yes, delay. Hear me out. Not in an “Oh I have so much I want to accomplish before eternity” way.
i. The reality is this, we’ve read about the final judgment this morning. But it hasn’t happened yet.
1. There’s still work to be done. We all still have friends and family members who don’t know Jesus as their Saviour yet. There is still time and opportunity for people to come to him in faith.
a. As long as Jesus doesn’t return, there’s still time to witness to and evangelize those who haven’t placed their faith in Jesus.
i. There are only 2 destinies in this world – heaven and hell. And those destinies are determined by our response to Jesus.
c. If you believe in Jesus, placed your faith in the saving work of Jesus on your behalf, let your actions be proof.
i. But also know that your name is written in the Book of Life that belongs to the Lamb that was slain.
1. Know and be assured that the day of judgment will be a day of glory for you.
a. But…realizing how the great is the need of sinners, you must surely tell others of the same gospel by which you were saved. Tell others of the gospel of the Lamb who was slain.