Text: Rev. 20:11-15

Title: "Jesus Christ: The Just Judge of the Great White Throne Judgment"

Subj: That Jesus Christ will be the just Judge of the lost.

Intro: The Bible says, "...Shall not the Judge of all the earth do right?" (Gen. 18:25).

We live in a day when men deny the Divine absolutes of right and wrong. We live in a day when the most vile of sins are considered acceptable. We live in a day when sinners make a mock of sin. We live in a day when men have forgotten, yea, even deny, the coming judgment of God. But God is not mocked, and the day is coming when all the unrighteous and self-righteous will stand before the eternal bar of justice!

"Shall not the Judge of all the earth do right?"

Are you glad for that coming day when sinners will finally be judged according to pure justice? Are you glad that somewhere in this universe, there truly is a righteous Judge? Are you glad that this righteous Judge has authority over "all the earth," including you and I? Are you glad that whatever decision this sovereign Judge hands down will be right and just, pure and holy?

"Shall not the Judge of all the earth do right?"

To you that are here without eternal life, without hope beyond the grave, and without the Lord Jesus Christ. Have you considered that great day of judgment when YOU will stand before the Judge of all the earth? Do you really believe that you can continue in a life of sin against God, and not be brought to account? Even human judges bring sinners to account!

"Shall not the Judge of all the earth do right?"

I wish to take you to the courtroom of eternal damnation, and the Great White Throne judgment of the lost. This, my unsaved friend, is a real place in a not so distant time. Here, as at the judgment seat of Christ for Christians, Jesus Christ, the just Judge will mete out perfect justice. If you die in your sins, you will be there. If sin will be punished, as it must, and if God is just, and He is, then He must pronounce a sentence of eternal damnation on all who have rejected His free gift of salvation and full forgiveness in Jesus Christ.

"Shall not the Judge of all the earth do right?"

Text: Rev. 20:11-15­­"Jesus Christ: the Just Judge of the Great White Throne Judgment"­­prayer

HIS APPEARANCE, HIS DEITY, HIS JUDGMENT, HIS SENTENCE

I. THE JUST JUDGE'S APPEARANCE (v11)

A. The Judge Will be Clearly Seen ("I saw").

1. Not a vision, dream, apparition, figment of your imagination

2. John saw Him and so will you!

3. A real time, a real event, a real Judge! Sinner, you will be there

B. The Judge Will be Seated in Majesty ("G.W.T.")

Note: Courtrooms are modeled after medieval churches!

1. "Great" = large, of physical magnitude, imposing

a. It must be great to hold the immensity of God, Whom even the universe can not contain

b. It must be great to hold the King of kings and Lord of lords in all His glory

Sinner, you will be very small before this great throne, but You will be there!

2. "White" = befitting holiness, spotless purity, righteousness, and the wisdom of the ages (every human throne is spotted with injustice)

Sinner, you will stand with the stench of your sins, the corruption of the grave, and the smell of Hell's fires upon you. You will be there!

3. "Throne" = a high seat with a footstool: a seat of supremacy, befitting Him of Whom God says 7 times in Scripture, "I [God] will make Thine [Christ's] enemies Thy footstool." (see 2 Chr. 9:17-18)

Sinner, you will stand as an enemy of God, and you will be that footstool. You will be there!

4. Suspended in the vastness of space, hung on nothing (like earth in pictures from space)

Sinner, there in the midst of nothingness, nothing will help you. You will be there

C. The Judge Will be Enthroned with Authority

1. "Him Who sat" is none other than the triune God revealed in the indescribable glory of Christ. We know this from...

Jn. 5:22, 27 "For the Father judgeth no man, but hath committed all judgment unto the Son. And hath given Him authority to execute judgment also, because He is the Son of man."

2 Tim. 4:1 "I charge thee therefore before God, and the Lord Jesus Christ, Who shall judge the quick and the dead at His appearing and His kingdom."

Sinner, the One you rejected will be your Judge. You will be there!

D. The Judge Will be Terrifying in His Countenance

1. He will be terrifying/fearful for you to look upon

a. "Face" = part around the eye, outward appearance. 3 times in the book of Rev., Jesus Christ is described as having, "eyes as a flame of fire" (Rev. 1:14; 2:18; 19:12).

1) His "eyes" speak of His omniscience, the ability to look right through you­­He knows your sins, He sees your heart!.

"O God, Thou knowest my foolishness; and my sins are not hid from Thee." Ps. 69:5

2) Fire speaks of His consuming judgment, His burning gaze.

Sinner, you will be looking into the flames of your own judgment and your slightest hope will be turned to ashes. You will be there

Hear the inspired description of your terrifying Judge in Rev. 19:11-16.

2. He will be terrifying to His creation

a. Innocent, but cursed because of original sin, and filled to the overflowing with continuous sin, even the earth and heaven (around the earth), flee from His holy countenance. (earth is cursed from man, heaven is cursed from Satan)

Sinner: How will you "stand," who sin willfully, if the innocent creation itself must flee? You will be there!

b. There will be no "place" for sin in His presence!

Note: Notice something else about this throne. There is no rainbow of mercy to comfort, no substitutionary Lamb to redeem, no advocate to plead your case! This throne is a throne of pure justice and deserved punishment! The Bible warns, "It is a fearful thing to fall into the hands of the living God." Heb. 10:31

I. THE JUST JUDGE'S APPEARANCE

II. THE JUST JUDGE'S DEITY ("God") (v12)

A. The Judge Has the Omnipotence to Call You Forth From Death

1. All the dead "dead" (death is separation, not cessation).

a. Dead physically or you would not be there!

b. Dead spiritually in this life and therefore after death.

"And you hath He quickened, who were dead in trespasses and sins" Eph 2:1

"He that believeth on Him is not condemned: but he that believeth not is condemned already, because he hath not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God." John 3:18

c. Double-dead!

You say....

d. "Small" dead = of magnitude

e. "Great" dead (same idea)

f. "Sea" dead (decomposed/scattered)

g. "Death" dead (physical/part in grave, dead like a dog)

h. "Hell" dead (spiritual/part in hell)

1) Resurrected in your own sin-cursed body, "where the worm dieth not, and the fire is not quenched."

2. No reincarnation, no annihilation

Sinner, you will be alive and you will experience conscious contact with the God you rebelled against! You will be there!

B. The Judge Has the Authority to Call You to Account ("stand before") (v12)

Sinner, you live like you won't, but you will stand before God! You talk like you won't, but you will stand before God! You claim you won't, but you will stand before God! And when you do, you will want to flee, but you will stand! You will want to hide, but you will stand! You will want to cry out, but you will be silent before God! You will want to die, but you are already dead!

"Marvel not at this: for the hour is coming, in the which all that are in the graves shall hear His voice, and shall come forth; they that have done good, unto the resurrection of life; and they that have done evil, unto the resurrection of damnation." Jn. 5:28-29

C. The Judge Has the Omniscience to Keep the Record in the Books (v12)

1. The books are opened

a. 66 books of Bible, books of God's just demands (laws)

b. Books of your works

Sinner (and saint), your biography is written!

"But I say unto you, that every idle word that men shall speak, they shall give account thereof in the day of judgment. For by thy words thou shalt be justified, and by thy words thou shalt be condemned." Mat. 12:36-37

c. The book of life (first physical life, then spiritual life in Christ).

Note: When you are conceived you are put in this book, not so much because of physical life, but because of your innocence concerning sin. When a child's innocence turns to understanding, and he/she rejects the revelation of God, the name is removed, for the child is now "dead in trespasses and sins". It is reentered when the person comes to Christ, for to know Jesus Christ is to have eternal life, and to be written in the Lamb's book of life.

I. THE JUST JUDGE'S APPEARANCE, II. Deity

III. THE JUST JUDGE'S JUDGMENT (v12, 13)

Note: "Judgment" = "crises" = turning point (with no turning back!)

"And as it is appointed unto men once to die, but after this the judgment." Heb. 9:27

Sinner, this will be the greatest crises of your life. You will be there!

A. His Judgment will be Impartial ("dead"­­small, great, etc.)

1. All will be there, all will be judged. Those with the least, and those with the most.

"For there is no respect of persons with God..." Rms. 2:11-12

Sinner, God cares not for your position in this life. You will be there!

B. His Judgment will be Based on God's Revelation of Christ ("books")

1. Bible reveals the only means of deliverance from sin

"He that rejecteth Me, and receiveth not My words, hath one that judgeth him: the Word that I have spoken, the same shall judge him in the last day." John 12:48

Sinner, you've had every opportunity to read, consider, and believe the Bible. You will be there.


C. His Judgment will be Based on Your Plea

1. Guilty!

1 Sam. 8:7 (God to Samuel) "...for they have not rejected thee, but they have rejected Me, that I should not reign over them."

a. Your sin-nature condemns you

b. Your sins prove your guilt

Sinner, you will not want justice, you will want mercy. Justice is getting what you deserve. Mercy is not getting what you deserve. But mercy is past and judgment is come. You will be there!

D. His Judgment will be Based on Your Works (v12d)

1. Book of works ("good"/evil)

Rom 3:12 "...there is none that doeth good, no, not one."

Note: 7 times in the book of Rev., Jesus Christ says, "I know thy works" (of what sort they are). Not only are your works known, they are recorded, and they are evaluated. But they are not sufficient!

Sinner, your works will condemn you! You will be there!

E. His Judgment will be Based on Your Relationship (v12c)

1. Book of life. Are you written?

"And the Lord said unto Moses, Whosoever hath sinned against Me, him will I blot out of My book." Ex. 32:33

a. "Not found! written" (lost!)

Sinner, you will search and search­­not found! You will turn page after page­­not found! You will check spelling, pronunciation, last name, first name, but­­not found! You're lost!!

I. THE JUST JUDGE'S APPEARANCE, II. Deity, III. Judgment

IV. THE JUST JUDGE'S SENTENCE (v14, 15)

A. His Sentence On Death and Hell (personified)

1 Cor. 15:26 "The last enemy that shall be destroyed is death."

1. Cast into Lake of Fire

a. Christ was victorious over death and hell on the cross of Calvary

b. They have served their purpose, no longer necessary

Note: Satan and his demon hordes, the beast out of the sea, and the false prophet have all been cast into the L. of F. (Rev. 20:10). Now death and hell join them. Every evil influence of this world is consigned to eternal punishment. We cry, "Lord, isn't that enough, can't these sinners be spared?" But they can't! They have offended God. They have sinned, and the wages of sin is death! It always has been, it always will be!

Sinner, you will be there!

B. His Sentence On "Whosoever Not Found Written"

1. Your sentence rests on the written evidence. This is fair & just!

"In flaming fire taking vengeance on them that know not God, and that obey not the gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ: who shall be punished with everlasting destruction from the presence of the Lord and from the glory of His power." 2 Thess. 1:8-9

2. Cast (hurl like a javelin) into L. of F.

Note: L. of F., is an eternal punishment in an eternal place. It is eternal because you have sinned against an eternal God. It is eternal because, without Christ to change your life, there can be no end of your sinning; therefore there can be no end of punishment.

Sinner, you will be cast like a javelin into eternal fire

C. This is the [completion] of the 2nd death

Sinner, there is no release! You will die the second death!

Concl: Sinner, you will meet God! It will either be in eternal judgment at the G.W.T., or in eternal forgiveness at the Cross of Calvary. You will either stand before the Judge in the next life, or kneel before the Saviour in this life. Why Will You Die Without the Lord? Will you come, in repentance and faith? Will you receive the free gift of eternal life through Jesus Christ before it is eternally to late. Right now, come to Christ. Meet Him in mercy, instead of judgment.

CHRISTIAN­­look unto the fields, they are white unto harvest. WHY WILL YOU PROCRASTINATE? Why do others die without Christ, when you are alive in Christ? Why do you withhold, from sinners, that which saved you? Are they less deserving than you? What about your family, friends, work mates, and neighbors who are perishing without hope? Surrender today!