Back to the Future: The final judgment
The end of the timeline has given us hope and excitement for what is to come. The promise of Heaven is an incredible one for which we wait eagerly like our theme verse says:
Hebrews 9:28 | Christ was offered once for all time as a sacrifice to take away the sins of many people. He will come again, not to deal with our sins, but to bring salvation to all who are eagerly waiting for him.
However, when some people read Revelation, they get lost in periods of the book that describe times of tribulation and distress. These chapters were God breathed and given to us so we would not be surprised at the trials and struggles to come. But they also aren’t the end or even the focus of God’s story!
After seeing a long period of great deception and devastation from the enemy, John says-
Revelation 19:11-16 | Then I saw heaven opened, and a white horse was standing there. Its rider was named Faithful and True, for he judges fairly and wages a righteous war. His eyes were like flames of fire, and on his head were many crowns. A name was written on him that no one understood except himself. He wore a robe dipped in blood, and his title was the Word of God. The armies of heaven, dressed in the finest of pure white linen, followed him on white horses. From his mouth came a sharp sword to strike down the nations. He will rule them with an iron rod. He will release the fierce wrath of God, the Almighty, like juice flowing from a winepress. On his robe at his thigh was written this title: King of all kings and Lord of all lords.
Jesus, our Savior and Mighty Warrior, wages war against the enemy and his armies. The armies of Satan are consumed (Revelation 20:9) and –
Revelation 20:10 | Then the devil, who had deceived them, was thrown into the fiery lake of burning sulfur, joining the beast and the false prophet. There they will be tormented day and night forever and ever.
While Satan, our great enemy, is currently permitted to tempt and deceive (1st Peter 5:8) and will continue wreaking havoc on the world in a way that leads to devastation in the end times (Revelation), his evil will not be permitted forever. In the same way, the evil of mankind and the rejection of Jesus also will not be permitted forever. Directly after satan is defeated, John sees the final judgment of all mankind–
Revelation 20:11-12 | And I saw a great white throne and the one sitting on it. The earth and sky fled from his presence, but they found no place to hide. I saw the dead, both great and small, standing before God’s throne. And the books were opened, including the Book of Life. And the dead were judged according to what they had done, as recorded in the books.
As we saw last week, this judgment is a time of rejoicing for God’s people who’s sin has been covered by the blood of Jesus, the Perfect Lamb. But that isn’t the case for everyone -
Revelation 20:15 | Anyone whose name was not found recorded in the Book of Life was thrown into the lake of fire.
Eternity in Heaven is promised to God’s followers, but there is an eternal destination for those who reject Jesus too – it is the same as the one reserved for our great adversary who, like everyone else, will not be able to escape punishment forever. You may wonder, why doesn’t God just judge Satan now so that we can be with Him and sin, death, and pain can be gone forever? Because once evil is gone forever, those who haven’t accepted forgiveness of their sin through following Jesus as Lord are forever separated from God too. So-
2nd Peter 3:9-10 | The Lord isn’t really being slow about his promise, as some people think. No, he is being patient for your sake. He does not want anyone to be destroyed, but wants everyone to repent.
Our timeless truth is much like the truth from last week which said: Heaven is promised to God’s followers. But this week, we see from Satan's defeat and the final judgment this timeless truth: Heaven is only for God’s followers. For those who don’t repent, eternal punishment is promised instead. Do you belong to Jesus, friend? If not, He is patiently waiting for you to repent – to turn from your sin and to follow Him instead. Don’t delay – choose to follow Him today because Heaven is only for God’s followers.
What did you learn or what stood out to you about the final judgment?
Why doesn’t God just get rid of Satan and return now?
What will eternity be like for those who rejected or did not follow Jesus?
How does this make you feel? Why?
Are you certain of where you will spend eternity? Why?