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Now, here's today's podcast, From Pathway to Victory. Hi, this is Robert Jeffers, and I'm glad to study God's Word with you every day on this Bible teaching program. On today's edition, a Pathway to Victory. The Bible tells us there is a final judgment coming for all those who don't know Christ. And it's that final judgment that we've come to in our study of the book of Revelation.
If you have your Bibles, turn to Revelation chapter 20, beginning with verse 7, as we look at God's final judgment against unbelievers. Welcome to Pathway to Victory with author and pastor Dr. Robert Jeffress. Saint or sinner, rich or poor, none of us escapes this earth alive. but some people will experience a second death.
a fate even more permanent and terrifying than being buried six feet under. Today, on Pathway to Victory, Dr. Robert Jeffers describes the ultimate destiny of all who die apart from faith in Jesus Christ. But first, let's take a moment to hear some important ministry updates. Thanks, David, and welcome again to Pathway to Victory.
I don't know of anything that expands our respect for God's majesty, quite like the ocean.
Well, this coming May 2027, I want you to join me on the Pathway to Victory: Journeys of Paul Mediterranean Cruise. The spectacular beauty, the warm sea breeze, and the fellowship with other Christians will restore your soul and create memories for a lifetime. The dates for this exquisite Mediterranean cruise are May 14th through 23rd, 2027. Take a look at the fabulous vacation we've prepared for you at ptv.org and then reserve your spot and join us.
Well, this coming Monday marks the conclusion of our study in the book of Revelation that started the first week of August. We've had quite an adventure together, watching the triumphant glory of Jesus unfold right before our very eyes. I'll remind you that I've written a commentary that captures our study in Revelation. It's called Final Conquest. This book represents a lifetime of personal study, and now you can request a copy for your personal library.
When you give a generous gift to support the ministry of Pathway to Victory, I'd be pleased to expedite a copy to your home. But please get in touch right away, while there's still time. We're in the final stretch of Revelation, and today we're looking at the 20th chapter. Turn there with me as I present a sobering message that I called the final judgment. In nineteen ninety two, Robert Alton Harris.
A man convicted of murder in California was finally executed. He had spent 14 years on death row before his execution. Why so long?
Well, an endless series of appeals and stays kept the sentence from being executed. Finally, the prisoner was executed 14 years after the crime. You know, there are many weaknesses in our judicial system, but perhaps the greatest one is this. There is no such thing as a swift and certain judgment for those who are guilty. The mistake we make, though, is assuming that God's justice.
is just as arbitrary as our justice system is. We get the idea that, sure, God wished everybody would come to know Christ as Savior. I know God has said those who die without Christ are going to hell, but perhaps just maybe at the final moment, God will pronounce a pardon for everyone and welcome everyone into heaven. But God is not like we are. The Bible tells us there is a final judgment coming for all those who don't know Christ.
without any promise of pardon or parole. And it's that final judgment that we've come to in our study of the book of Revelation. John describes the final judgment of the unsaved in one of the most terrifying passages of all the Bible. John describes a curious happening. that occurs at the end of the millennium.
If you have your Bibles, turn to Revelation chapter 20, beginning with verse 7. And when the thousand years are completed, Satan will be released from prison. In fact, verse 3 says he must be released after the thousand years. Why? To lead one final rebellion.
Look at verse 8. Who are the participants in this rebellion? Satan will come out to deceive the nations which are in the four corners of the earth, Gog and Magog, to gather them together for the war. The number of them is like the sand of the seashore.
Now, the terms Gog and Magog, sometimes in the Bible, refer to specific nations, but here it's just a generic reference showing that there will be people from every nation of the world who will choose to rebel against God. This is the final rebellion of man against God.
Now, remember, this happens at the end of the millennium.
So the natural question is, who is it at the end of the millennium that would choose to rebel against God and follow Satan?
Well, the answer to that is found. When you understand, there are two different groups of believers who enter the millennium. One group is going to be people like us who have already received their resurrection bodies. We received it either at the rapture of the church. or if you're saved during the tribulation and you're martyred.
You'll receive it at the second coming of Christ. But there'll be a whole group of us who are in our resurrection bodies. But the second group of people who enter the millennium are those who enter into their natural bodies. These are people who were saved during the tribulation. They weren't martyred.
They survived the tribulation with their faith intact and their bodies intact. God doesn't kill them at the end of the tribulation. They enter the millennium in their natural bodies. And so there'll be two groups. And it is those Christians in their natural bodies.
Who do what people do in their natural bodies? They get married, they procreate, they have children. And so there will be people born during the millennium. And it's these people born during that thousand-year period of time. Will have to face the decision we all face, and that is whether or not to follow God or Satan.
And strangely, there will be some people born during the millennium. Who will actually choose after experiencing the rule of Christ, the perfect rule of Christ, they will choose to follow Satan in that final rebellion. The only explanation for those who rebel against God are going to be the children of those who are born during the millennium. Look at the result of this rebellion. Verse 9, and they came up on the broad plain of the earth and surrounded the camp of the saints in the beloved city, and fire came down from heaven and devoured them.
They are judged in an instant because of their rebellion against God. And then notice in verse 10, the judgment of Satan. And the devil who deceived them. was thrown into the lake of fire. Where the beast and the false prophet are also, and they will be tormented day and night forever and ever.
The beast and the false prophet had been put into the lake of fire a thousand years. Before this occurs, a thousand years after they have been placed in the lake of fire and Satan is put there. John says, it's the same place where the beast and false prophet are, not where they were. It's where they are. They continue to live in that lake of fire a thousand years later, and they will be tormented there day and night forever and ever and ever.
And as we'll see in a moment, that is going to be the same place where non-Christians spend eternity. They will be tormented there day and night forever and ever. That word translated forever is the Greek word ionon. They will be tormented Forever and ever and ever. The awful, terrible truth about hell is this.
When somebody has spent 10 billion trillion years suffering that indescribable torment. After 10 billion trillion years, that occupant of hell will not have reduced by one second. the time he has left to spend there. That is the terrible, awful truth about the lake of fire, Gehenna. It's the ultimate destination of Satan.
But sadly Satan, the beast, the false prophet are not the only occupants there. Look at verse 11: the great white throne judgment that will send unbelievers to that terrible place as well. Chapter 20, verse 11. John says, Then I saw a great white throne, and him who sat upon it. from whose presence earth and heaven fled away and no place was found for them.
You know, there are many references to the throne of God in the book of Revelation. We see 30 references. Remember in chapter 4, the rainbow that surrounded the throne, the 24 elders, the church, we saw the lightning flashes signaling God's judgment. The rainbow symbolizing the promises of God. That was the throne of God, but this is a different throne.
It's a single solitary throne suspended in outer space. The earth The heavens have passed away. They've already been destroyed by this time after Satan's final rebellion. And John says, and I saw him who sat upon the throne. The one who sat upon the throne was not God the Father.
It is Jesus Christ, the Son. Remember in John 5, 22, The Bible says, Jesus said, for the Father judges no man, but has committed all judgment unto the Son. Have you ever heard people say, Well, I don't believe in a Jesus who would judge people, or you don't believe in the Jesus of the Bible? Jesus is going to preside over this final great white throne judgment. In Acts 17:31, Luke says, God has fixed the day.
In which he will judge the world in righteousness through a man he has appointed, and that man is Christ Jesus. Who are the subjects of this great white throne judgment? Look at verse 12 and verse 13. And I saw the dead, the great and the small, standing before the throne. And the sea gave up the dead which were in it, and earth, death, and Hades gave up the dead which were in them.
And they were judged, every one of them, according to their deeds. And by the way, will you notice this reference here? I saw the great and the small. It doesn't matter who you are. The president or a prostitute, the governor or a gunman, the mayor or a murderer, it doesn't matter to God.
There he is no respecter of persons. Anyone who dies apart from faith in Jesus Christ will be the subject of this great white throne judgment. And what is the basis of the judgment? Verse 12. And the books were opened.
And another book was opened, which is the book of life. And the dead. The unsaved, that is, were judged from the things which were written in the books according to their deeds. Then death and Hades were thrown into the lake of fire. This is the second death, the lake of fire.
They are judged according to the books.
Now, please stay with me on this.
So important you understand this. Did you know God keeps two sets of books, so to speak? There are the books. And there is the book. The book is the Lamb's book of life.
That records the name of everyone who's ever trusted in Christ as Savior. We saw it in chapter 3. The names in that book were written down before the foundation of the world. That's the book of life. But it says the unsaved were judged according to the books, that is, according to their deeds.
Why are non-Christians judged by their works? Two reasons. First of all, because they've chosen to be judged by their works. The unbeliever is somebody who said, I don't need that gift of forgiveness that Christ offers, I don't need his grace. If he died for my sins, he needn't have bothered, as Ted Turner once said.
If a few girlfriends and a few drinks are going to send you to hell, so be it. the great billionaire said. That's what the unbeliever says. I don't need the grace of God. I'll roll the dice.
I'm good enough to get into heaven. God says, fine, we'll judge you just like you want to be judged by your works. The only problem with that is The standard of our works is not other people. It's Jesus Christ himself. He's the standard by which everybody is judged.
And unless your righteousness meets his righteousness, you fall short. The reason unsaved, the unsaved are judged by their works is because they've chosen to be. The second reason is their works will determine the kind of hell that they experience. I bet you haven't heard this before. We've already seen there are degrees of heaven.
After we're saved, what kind of life we lead determines the kind of heaven that we experience. We've talked at length about rewards in heaven, but did you know there are degrees of hell as well? And that's why unbelievers will be judged by their works to discover what kind of hell they will experience. You say, Pastor, you've gone off the deep end. We knew it was going to happen sometime.
You've gone off the deep end. Where do you find degrees of hell in the Bible?
Well, one place is in the Gospel of Luke. Jesus talked about it. You remember the story he told about The slave who was judged by his master. This is one of the most interesting and frequently overlooked passages in the Bible. Luke 12, verses 47 to 48.
Jesus said, And that slave who knew his master's will. and did not get ready or act in according with that will, will receive many lashes. But the one who did not know it and committed deeds worthy of a flogging will receive but a few lashes. From everyone who has been given much, Much will be required. and to whom they entrusted much of him they will ask all the more.
Jesus said, A slave who knows exactly what the master wants him to do. But decides not to do it, he's worthy of severe punishment, many lashes. But the one who disobeys the master's will but never really had knowledge of that will, he'll receive a few lashes. In other words, the judgment will be based on how much knowledge he had.
Now both receive lashes, some receive more than others.
Now don't misinterpret this. The least degree of hell is still going to be horrible. Every unbeliever is sent to the lake of fire, but there are degrees of hell based on the revelation, the knowledge we have. By the way, that means every one of you sitting here today, every one of you watching on television, you are without excuse. Much is required of you because you have heard the true gospel of Jesus Christ.
That's the basis of our judgment. The unbelievers will be judged according to their works. And what is the result of that judgment? Look at this, verse 15. And if anyone's name was not written in the book of the life, He was thrown into the lake of fire.
Jesus called this place. Gehena. The valley of Hinnom. Those of you who have been to Israel, you've been there before, no doubt. You know it's located outside the walls of Jerusalem.
It was a garbage dump for Jerusalem for many, many years. It was a place the sewage, the refuse, would be dumped. It was a place where criminals' bodies, after they were crucified or executed, would have been left to decay. In the Old Testament times, that same valley was the site where Israelites following the pagan god Malik would burn their infant children alive. It was a horrible place.
In fact, Jesus described it as a place just like Gehenna, hell. Of weeping and wailing and of gnashing of teeth. There was no more cursed place than Gehenna. And it is that place, Jesus said, that best describes. The endless, eternal weeping and wailing and gnashing of teeth that awaits those.
Who die without Christ? And listen to me, ladies and gentlemen. It is that place that Jesus died to save you from. You know, I have to do some sad things as a pastor. But there's nothing sadder that I do.
that having the visit with a family who has lost a loved one. who was not a Christian. Because, in all integrity, all honesty, I have absolutely no hope to offer them about their loved one. Because there is no hope for their loved one. They have died apart from Christ.
Why would anyone Reject the grace of Jesus Christ. Why would anyone say? I would rather be damned and go to hell than ever trust Jesus for my forgiveness. Why would any sane person say such a thing? There's only one reason.
Verse 10. They have been deceived by Satan. Satan has placed a veil over their eyes where they cannot see the truth. And ladies and gentlemen, that's why we do what we do as First Baptist Church Dallas. That's why we pray.
That's why we preach. That's why we witness. That's why we sacrifice our money. That's why we build these buildings, all so that people might come to know Christ as Savior and be saved from that horrible, horrible future that awaits those who die without Christ. Have you taken advantage of that gift of salvation?
Have you done it yet? Let me tell you, there is no hope for Satan. There has been no provision for his forgiveness or salvation. His destination is certain. But if you're not a Christian yet, There is a provision for your salvation.
Right now is the time to change your eternal destiny. Can I share a personal word with you? I preached this passage over the last 40 years. many, many times, but I've never had this experience before. I was preparing the message in my study this week, and at one point, I was so overwhelmed by what I was reading and thinking about and preparing to share for you that I shut my Bible.
And I knelt down by my chair. And I said, God, I don't want to go to hell. Please, Lord, save me from this terrible, terrible place. I believe Jesus is my only hope. And I'm trusting in him to save me, forgive me.
To save me from that judgment I know I deserve. Save me, dear Lord. Please save me. You may say, Well, Pastor, I thought you told us you did that when you were five years old. Why would you do that again?
Because I want to be sure. I want to be absolutely sure. But I want to be in that place called heaven. Regardless of what I've done or haven't done in the past, I want to know right now that I've done what the Bible says I must do to be saved. Are you sure?
Instead of unraveling what you may or may not have done in the past. Why not now say, God, save me? Save me, forgive me. Mm. Usher me into your presence that day that I die so that I can be with you forever and ever and ever.
The Bible promises Whoever. Calls on the name of the Lord. shall be saved. Over the years, I found that Christians are often intimidated by the book of Revelation. The sensational imagery feels foreign, and yet it's absolutely essential that we have a grasp on this final book in the Bible and the warnings we receive about the last days.
As I mentioned earlier, I've written a best-selling book to help you understand the mysteries of the Revelation given to John. It's called Final Conquest, and the final day to request a copy is Monday. This book is by far the most comprehensive one I've written about Bible prophecy. In my book, we'll walk together through every chapter in Revelation so that you have a firm grasp on the essential storyline and how this biblical account impacts your life today. Plus, when you respond right now, I'll also include the booklet I've written for you called The Major Characters of the End Times.
It's the perfect tool to have alongside my book on Revelation because it'll help you understand the key figures in the end times. And it's printed in a large font, making this booklet readable and easy to understand. In the last couple of weeks, we've been pleased to send thousands of copies to listeners all across the country.
So while supplies last, I'm pleased to send one to you as well. Let me recap today's special offer. When you give a generous gift to support the Ministry of Pathway to Victory, I'll be sending you a copy of my best-selling book called Final Conquest. And as a bonus, you'll also receive my booklet called The Major Characters of the End Times. Here's David now to give you our contact information.
You're invited to request your copy of the book Final Conquest, along with the booklet Major Characters of the End Times, when you give a generous gift to support the Ministry of Pathway to Victory. Call 866-999-2965, visit ptv.org or text ptv to 78800. And when you give an especially generous gift of $125 or more, we'll also send you the complete Final Conquest Teaching Series on DVD video and MP3 format audio disc. Along with Dr. Jeffers' book, Mysteries of the End Times, a clear guide to your questions about the rapture, the tribulation, and the return of Christ.
One more time, call 866-999-2965 or make your request online at ptv.org. You could write to us if you'd like. Here's that address: P.O. Box 223-609, Dallas, Texas, 75222. That's P.O.
Box 223-609, Dallas, Texas. 75222. I'm David J. Mullins. When Jesus ascended into heaven, he promised that he was going to prepare a place for those who put their faith in him.
And next time, Dr. Jeffress will teach from a wonderful passage that describes the glories of heaven. Join us for this fascinating message Monday on Pathway to Victory. Pathway to Victory with Dr. Robert Jeffress comes from the pulpit of the First Baptist Church of Dallas, Texas.
You made it to the end of today's podcast from Pathway to Victory, and we're so glad you're here. Pathway to Victory relies on the generosity of loyal listeners like you to make this podcast possible. One of the most impactful ways you can give is by becoming a Pathway Partner. Your monthly gift will empower Pathway to Victory to share the gospel of Jesus Christ and help others become rooted more firmly in His Word. To become a Pathway Partner, go to ptv.org/slash donate, or you can follow the link in our show notes.
We hope you've been blessed by today's podcast from Pathway to Victory. Oh, and one last thing before we go: don't forget to reserve your spot on the 2027 Journeys of Paul Mediterranean Cruise. You've heard me and Dr. Jeffers talk about it, and cabins are going quickly. Just picture yourself aboard the beautiful celebrity Infinity sailing round trip from Athens, standing where the Apostle Paul stood in Ephesus, and taking in the breathtaking Greek islands.
Nine unforgettable nights with stops in Mykonos, Rhodes, Santorini, and more. Every meal prepared, every detail taken care of, plus fellowship with like-minded believers. There's also an optional pre-cruise extension to Athens. To book your spot, go to PTV.org.
