Final Judgement

Hi, I'm Robert Jeffress, and I'm glad to serve as your Bible teacher every day on this great radio station.

On today's edition of 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 seven, 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 Jeffress describes the ultimate destiny of all who die apart from faith in Jesus Christ. Now, here's our Bible teacher to introduce today's message.

Dr. Jeffress. Thanks, David. And welcome again to Pathway to Victory. Amy and I fondly remember the first time we laid eyes on God's masterpiece to the north, Alaska. I'm telling you, the majestic scenery is absolutely breathtaking, and you're invited to join us June 15th through 22nd, 2024, for the Pathway to Victory cruise to Alaska. We've allotted ample time for sightseeing, of course, but we're bringing our own Christian entertainment on board the luxury cruise ship. You'll enjoy the special music of our guests, Michael O'Brien and Rebecca St. James, and you'll laugh at the comedy of Dennis Swanberg. I'll also be bringing messages from God's Word most evenings.

Go to ptv.org. Take a look at all the wonderful moments we've prepared for you by reviewing the itinerary posted at ptv.org. And if these dates are clear on your calendar, please reserve your spot and join us. This is a vacation you'll never forget. Well, this coming Friday marks the conclusion of our study in the fascinating Book of Revelation.

We've had quite an adventure together. I'll remind you that I've written a brand new book for you. It's one that answers five of the most common questions about biblical prophecy. I titled my new book Mysteries of the End Times. If you love the topic of prophecy and if you're curious to close the gap on some of your understanding, this book is for you. And when you give a generous gift to support the Ministry of Pathway to Victory, I'm pleased to expedite a copy to your home. But please get in touch with us 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 about the final judgment. In 1992, 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 is 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, for 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. Well, 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 a 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. It's 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 three. 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 gonna 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 wanna 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 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 gonna happen sometime.

You've gone off the deep end. Where do you find degrees of hell in the Bible? 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 accord 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 gonna 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 life, he was thrown into the lake of fire. Jesus called this place Gehenna, 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, Moloch, 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 than having to 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 than 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've 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 that 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.

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've found that Christians are often intimidated by the book of Revelation.

The sensational imagery John uses feels foreign to us. And yet, it's absolutely essential that we have a grasp on this final book of the Bible and the warnings we receive about the last days. So let me highly recommend that you become a student of this final conquest of God. As I mentioned earlier, I've written a brand-new book to help you understand biblical prophecy. It's called Mysteries of the End Times.

And the final day to request your copy is Friday. When it comes to studying Bible prophecy in the end times, there are five mysteries that seem to lurk in the shadows. In my book, I address all five, and I provide five biblical answers. Plus, when you respond today, I'll also include the booklet I've written for you called The Major Characters of the End Times.

It's sometimes difficult to keep track of all the imagery in Revelation. My 50-page booklet describes 15 characters of the end times and how they fit into God's story. In the last couple of weeks, we've been pleased to send thousands and thousands of copies to our listeners all across the country. So while supplies last, I'm pleased to send you a copy of The Major Characters of the End Times.

Now, let me recap today's special offer. When you give a generous gift to support Pathway to Victory, I'll be sending you a copy of my brand-new book called Mysteries of the End Times. And then, as a bonus, you'll receive the 50-page booklet called The Major Characters of the End Times. David?

Thanks, Dr. Jeffress. When you contact Pathway to Victory with a generous gift, be sure to request your copy of the brand-new book Mysteries of the End Times, along with the booklet titled The Major Characters of the End Times. Here's the number to call 866-999-2965 or go online to ptv.org. And when you give $100 or more, we'll also include the complete CD and DVD teaching sets for this month's series on the book of Revelation. Plus, a copy of the bestselling book by Dr. Jeffress titled Final Conquest is yours as well.

This offer will end soon, so be sure to get in touch right away. Call 866-999-2965 or go to ptv.org. You could also write to P.O. Box 223609, Dallas, Texas, 75222.

Again, that's P.O. Box 223609, 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 tomorrow, Dr. Jeffress will teach from a wonderful passage that describes the glories of heaven. Join us for a fascinating message Wednesday on Pathway to Victory. Pathway to Victory with Dr. Robert Jeffress comes from the pulpit of the First Baptist Church of Dallas, Texas.