MY UNDERSTANDING OF THE FINAL JUDGMENT

"And I saw a great white throne, and Him that sat on it.... And I saw the dead, small and great, stand before God; and the books were opened: and another book was opened, which is the Book of  Life: and the dead were judged out of those things which were written in the books, according to their works.... And whosoever was not found written in the Book of Life was cast into the lake of fire" (Rev. 20:11-15).

First, notice that the Great White Throne Judgment is a judgment of the dead!  It occurs at the end of the Millennial Reign of Jesus, when there will be only one group of people remaining upon earth:  the living saints within the Lord's camp (the rest of the world's population, who will have been gathered to war against Jesus, will ALL have been killed - Rev. 20:9).  "Saints" are those who have been sanctified IN Christ, and though they will not be a part of the Church, I believe they will be born again (1 Cor. 1:2).  The Church will have been removed from earth one thousand seven years earlier (Jn. 14:1-3; 1 Th. 4:16-17; Dan. 9:27; Mt. 24:1-29; Rev. 6 - 18; etc.)!

Now notice the outcome of the Great White Throne Judgment is based upon what is written in books.  There are two theories as to the meaning of "the books":  1)  the Word of God, and 2)  a biographical history of the one being judged.  Either way, the person facing "his Maker," will be found guilty of sin!  And, the sentence for sin is death (Rom. 6:23a).  In other words, EVERYONE will be deserve God's eternal punishment. 

Having been found guilty, before God pronounces His sentence, another book, the Lamb's Book of Life, will be consulted (Phil. 4:3, and seven references from Revelation:  3:5; 13:8; 17:8; 20:12, 15; 21:27; and 22:19).  I believe the book, based upon God's foreknowledge, contains the names of ALL the souls who will have trusted in God.  Those who rejected the Lord's offer of salvation, will, by this time, be both physically and spiritually dead!  They will then experience the "second death" (Rev. 2:11; 20:6, 14; 21:8).

 

Think of the Lamb's Book of Life as the Lord's last will and testament.

It contains His provision for all of His children after His death.