The Great White Throne Judgement

At some point in the future, more than 1000 years from now, we all have an appointment. Everyone that has ever been alive will appear at the Great White Throne Judgement. Some of us will be witnesses; others will be defendants. The judge at the Great White Throne Judgement will be none other than Jesus Christ himself. He will judge all those that chose not to receive salvation in this life. This is a judgement that you do not want to stand trial at. Revelation 20:11-15 tells us what we can expect.

The Dead Will Appear

Revelation 20:12 says "And I saw the dead, small and great, stand before God." The dead that the Bible is referring to is the people that are dead in spirit. God promised, in Genesis 2:17, that on the day that Adam first ate out of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, he would die. In Genesis 3:6-7, Adam and Eve ate from the tree that they were told not to eat out of. While they didn't die physically that day, their spirit did die. People that do not choose to follow Jesus in this life, and are not born again, will remain dead, and will defend themselves at the Great White Throne Judgement.

The dead, small and great, will appear before the Lord on that day. There will be people that we recognize, like Alexander the Great. There were people that were known for great evil in their day, like Hitler and Nero. There will be peasants that lived quiet lives. There will be kind people and grouchy people. "All have sinned, and come short of the glory of God," (Romans 3:23) and all that do not have their sins forgiven will have to account for what they did in this life.

The Books will be Opened

There will be books that will be opened at the Great White Throne Judgement. These are the books that the dead will be judged by. The books detail our works, or things that we have done in life. Unfortunately, the Bible says that "all our righteousnesses are as filthy rags" (Isaiah 64:6). We can't be good enough to be found innocent. Therefore, everyone who is judged by their works will be found guilty.

The Book of Life will also be opened. Everyone who has ever existed currently has one name written down in the book of life. When someone realizes that they have sinned, and the only way for their sins to be forgiven is to repent and trust in Jesus Christ, they get a new name (Revelation 2:17). Those without the second name will be found guilty.

There Will Be No Defense

Unfortunately, there will be no defense for those who are standing trial. Some will say "Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in thy name? And in thy name have cast out devils? And in thy name done many wonderful works?" (Matthew 7:22) "Religious" hypocrites like the Phelps family (the ones who picket military funerals) may ask "didn't we fight against homosexuality in your name?" The Lord's answer to these people who acted religious in their lifetime, but didn't feel that they needed salvation and repentance, will be "I never knew you: depart from me."

Saved people will be witnesses. They will not be able to help their friends get out of this jam. They will only be able to look on with tears. It won't be until after the judgement that the Lord will wipe away all of our tears (Revelation 21:4).

The Final End

Those that stand trial and our found guilty will be cast into the lake of fire, and will never be heard from again (Revelation 20:14). Their names will be blotted out of the Lamb's Book of Life, and they will never be heard from again.

We all have something that we can be doing right now to get ready for the Great White Throne Judgement. Those of us who are saved can pray for our friends and tell them about the Lord. Those of us who have not repented of our sins can choose to believe that we are sinners, turn away from our sins, and choose to accept the forgiveness of sins the Jesus death on the cross, in order to be saved. Then the Great White Throne Judgement won't be such a difficult time.