Ep 527 – Revelation 20:11-15

There is judgment and then there is final judgment. All of the plagues, cosmic disturbances, and various forms of punishment meted out by God during the days of the tribulation are a form of His judgment. But they are not the final and permanent aspect of God's judgment on sinful mankind. That will come at the end of the Millennial Kingdom of Christ, when all of the unsaved will stand before Jesus Christ at the Great White Throne Judgment. In Revelation 20:11-15, John is provided with a glimpse of this future event at which all those who have ever lived will stand before God in their resurrected bodies and be forced to have all their works judged by Him. The criteria of their judgment will be whether or not the deeds they did while on earth earned them a right standing with God. In other words, were their acts of righteousness worthy to merit God's favor? But we know that God deems all our works of righteousness, apart from faith in His Son, Jesus Christ, as filthy rags. They don't measure up. And so, all those who stand before the Great White Throne, facing the King of kings and righteous Judge of the universe will find that they lack the one work that could have earned them eternal life and forgiveness for their sins: Faith in Jesus.