"Then I saw a great white throne and the one who is seated on it. Before his face both earth and heaven fled away, and no place was found for them. 12 I saw the dead, the great and the small, standing before the throne, and scrolls were opened. Another scroll was opened too; this is the scroll of life. And the dead were judged on the basis of what was written in the scrolls about what they had done. 14 Then Death and the Grave were thrown into the fiery lake. This, the fiery lake, is the second death. 15 Then anyone whose name wasn’t found written in the scroll of life was thrown into the fiery lake. -Revelation 20:11-12, 14-15
We’ve been looking at the conclusion of history, and we’ve talked about many elements involved in that journey that is ahead of us. We’ve looked at the marriage supper of the lamb, and the millennial reign of Christ, and now we come to the conclusion of Earth history.
The old Earth, the old universe, has passed away. And everyone is alive, and standing before God.
You’ve got everyone, billions and billions of people, and they all stand before God. You’ve got average everyday people, farmers, waitresses, cooks, construction workers, and you’ve also got the wealthy, the elite, the powerful, people like Elon Musk, Bill Gates, the Rockefellers, past presidents, and Wallstreet stock brokers. You’ve got people from all across history, all over the world, people from Europe, from China, from India, from Pakistan, peoples from South Africa, Kenya, and Ethiopia. You’ve got the millions who died during the black death, and the millions who died during the world wars, you’ve got ancient peoples who saw Jesus with their own eyes, you’ve got people who saw Abraham and Moses. You’ve got modern teenagers, you’ve got post-modern philosophers, you’ve got everybody. Every single person who ever existed, standing before God’s throne. This throne room is the place where God resides. I imagine it’s quite amazing.
And it says books were opened. Heaven keeps records of all that’s done on the Earth. True story. Everything is written down. And it says each person was judged based on what was written in the books, which is based on what decisions each person made.
What decisions did you make? What did you do? Did you serve yourself, or did you serve God? All this will come to light on the last day. And what’s most important is, is your name written in the book of life. That book belongs to who? The Lamb, that’s Jesus. Did they have Jesus as savior? If the answer is no, that person will be sent to the lake of fire, permanently. Scary stuff, right?
So I’m not sure how long this process will take. To individually judge billions of people? Well, I suppose God could take every case at the same time, because God is infinite. And can be everywhere all at once. So I suppose it won’t take too long. Maybe a few hours?
But at this moment, it says that death and the grave are abolished forever. No more dying, more putting people to rest in graves. That stuff is over, it’s said it’s thrown into the lake of fire as well. Very interesting.
So you’ve got the great division between what Jesus called the sheep and the goats. The sheep obeyed Jesus and listened to his voice, the goats did not obey Jesus and rejected Him. Then we see the three new creations come.
It says, Revelation 20:1-2: “Then I saw a new heaven and a new earth, for the former heaven and the former earth had passed away, and the sea was no more. 2 I saw the holy city, New Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, made ready as a bride beautifully dressed for her husband.”
Three new things. You’ve got a new universe. What does this mean? Stars, planets, galaxies? I don’t really know. But no doubt it will be incredibly beautiful. Our current universe is very dark and barren, what would a holy universe look like? Would all space be traversable? Could you breath in space? Faster than light travel? Gold colored? Space creatures? Maybe the entire universe would be filled with a liquid substance resembling grape jelly. I don’t know. But it’s a new, perfect universe. A universe made right.
Second, a new Earth. Again, I wonder what a new earth will look like? Probably in many ways just like our current Earth. Beautiful skies, trees, plants, animals, and various creatures. But consider it without danger, without sin, without evil. Animals wouldn’t run from us, as they do now, they would run to us. No angry people in traffic driving too fast, or too slow. No pollution, no violence, no wars, no lies and distortions.
And 3rd, a new city. A new Jerusalem. Which Jerusalem means “City of Peace.” I would love to live in a city of peace. There is so much strife, division and pain on Earth. I would love to live in this city of peace. And I know that one day soon I will live in this city.
Verses 3 and 4 say this: “Look! God’s dwelling is here with humankind. He will dwell with them, and they will be his peoples. God himself will be with them as their God. 4 He will wipe away every tear from their eyes. Death will be no more. There will be no mourning, crying, or pain anymore, for the former things have passed away.”
Rev 21;15-27, "The angel who spoke to me had a gold measuring rod with which to measure the city, its gates, and its wall. 16 Now the city was laid out as a square. Its length was the same as its width. He measured the city with the rod, and it was fifteen hundred miles.[a] Its length and width and height were equal. 17 He also measured the thickness of its wall. It was two hundred sixteen feet[b] thick, as a person—or rather, an angel—measures things. 18 The wall was built of jasper, and the city was pure gold, like pure glass. 19 The city wall’s foundations were decorated with every kind of jewel. The first foundation was jasper, the second was sapphire, the third was chalcedony, and the fourth was emerald. 20 The fifth was sardonyx, the sixth was carnelian, the seventh was chrysolite, and the eighth was beryl. The ninth was topaz, the tenth was chrysoprase, the eleventh was jacinth, and the twelfth was amethyst. 21 The twelve gates were twelve pearls; each one of the gates was made from a single pearl. And the city’s main street was pure gold, as transparent as glass.
22 I didn’t see a temple in the city, because its temple is the Lord God Almighty and the Lamb. 23 The city doesn’t need the sun or the moon to shine on it, because God’s glory is its light, and its lamp is the Lamb. 24 The nations will walk by its light, and the kings of the earth will bring their glory into it. 25 Its gates will never be shut by day, and there will be no night there. 26 They will bring the glory and honor of the nations into it. 27 Nothing unclean will ever enter it, nor anyone who does what is vile and deceitful, but only those who are registered in the Lamb’s scroll of life."
