What Is the Great White Throne Judgment and Who’ll Be Impacted?
Bible Study Guide
Christ first came to humbly serve sinners and offer the free gift of God’s salvation. His Second Coming will be to judge. For God is not a judge but He is Judge. His final judgment upon this world will be the great white throne judgment.
“Just as people are destined to die once, and after that to face judgment,” (Hebrews 9:27)
After judgment, everyone will face either eternal life or the second death.
Here are the three major judgments that the New Testament teaches.
The Judgment Seat of Christ (Bema Seat of Christ)
This judgment takes place in heaven after the rapture. Every believer who was raptured will have to stand before Christ to give an account of the good they’ve done on earth with the gifts they’ve been given.
He will not judge anyone for their sins because they were taken away at the cross by His shed blood and death.
Judgment of the Nations
This judgment will occur after the war of Armageddon at the end of the seven year Tribulation period. This will be a time to judge all the nations that came up against God and His people and land (Israel).
Great White Throne Judgment
(Verse 11) John sees what must’ve been a glorious sight to behold. It was not any white throne. This was a great white throne. Sitting on the throne was the same One who was worthy to open the Seal Judgments at the beginning of the Tribulation. This is the same One one who tread the winepress of God’s wrath upon an earth filled with unbelievers.
The One seated on the great white throne is none other than Jesus.
“Moreover, the Father judges no one, but has entrusted all judgment to the Son,” (John 5:22)
“And he has given him authority to judge because he is the Son of Man.” (John 5:27)
His throne is not set on earth. Because John tells us that the earth and heaven have been destroyed and no longer exist. The throne can’t be located in heaven because sinners (those being judged) are not allowed to enter heaven.
There will be a place appointed by God where this great white throne will be located. And Christ will judge from His throne at this location for the last judgment.
“But the day of the Lord will come like a thief. The heavens will disappear with a roar; the elements will be destroyed by fire, and the earth and everything done in it will be laid bare. 11 Since everything will be destroyed in this way, what kind of people ought you to be? You ought to live holy and godly lives 12 as you look forward to the day of God and speed its coming. That day will bring about the destruction of the heavens by fire, and the elements will melt in the heat. 13 But in keeping with his promise we are looking forward to a new heaven and a new earth, where righteousness dwells.” (2 Peter 3:10-13)
What Is the Great White Throne Judgment?
Since the Garden of Eden and Cain and Abel, God has judged mankind for their sins against Him. Mankind has proven that the heart is deceitful above all things and beyond cure. And God has shown that He is a holy God set apart from sin which ultimately sets us apart from Him.
The great white throne judgment will be the final judgment upon a sinful mankind bent on opposing God. Who will this group of unbelievers be?
(Verse 12) All of those since the beginning of time, who’ve died not believing in God or His Son, Jesus Christ will be resurrected. This is the second resurrection. The first resurrection was reserved for the believers.
These of the second resurrection will stand before Christ. They’re the ones whose names are not written in the book of life. They will be judged in accordance with their sinful deeds.
This gives us the indication that there will be differing levels of punishment based on their evil deeds The levels of torment will vary based upon their deeds, but the time frame will remain the same for all—eternity.
This compares similarly to the first resurrection of the believers. They’ll be judged by Christ for the good they did with the gifts they were given by God. This will determine the level of their reward.
The people of the second resurrection will not be looked upon by God to see if they were good people. He’s looking for godly people. Heaven is not a place for good people. It’s a place for saved people.
As it is written:
“There is no one righteous, not even one;” (Romans 3:10)
“Why do you call me good?” Jesus answered. “No one is good—except God alone.”
(Mark 10:18)
Why Do Unbelievers Receive a Resurrected Body?
All resurrected bodies will be different from our bodies of flesh and blood. A body of flesh and blood could not withstand the fires of the burning lake of sulfur. A resurrected body will be different. It’ll feel the heat and endure the torment of the fiery lake of hell. It’ll not be a perishable body, but one designed to endure suffering.
There are so many people that believe because they don’t believe in God or Christ that they’re exempt from His plan for creation. Their shock on that day will be utterly profound. They will be helpless to change their course. They will have already made their decision in the flesh.
Imagine that! A foolish decision to reject God during a temporal time of living in perishable flesh will cause many to live in torment for eternity in unperishable and suffering resurrected bodies.
Everyone who will go to hell, has made a choice to go there.
Where Will Those Facing the Great White Throne Judgment Come From?
(Verse 13) This verse that John records help to give us clarity on anyone’s thinking that they’re exempt from God’s punishment. It also describes the totality of all those who’ve died from the beginning of time up through the 1000 year of Christ.
“The sea gave up the dead” describes the far reaches of all those who’ve died throughout history. It doesn’t matter where there bodies may have perished, they will be resurrected. In the Bible, the sea is often referred to as the chaotic and turbulent existence of mankind.
God will not miss a single dead unbeliever at the time of the great white throne judgment. Everyone one will be resurrected. They will not be receiving an email with an exemption option.
This verse underscores the totality of the second resurrection and the reach of God’s divine justice.
Hades is a Greek term used in the New testament describing the holding place for the dead unbelievers. We can find sheol, the Hebrew equivalent of Hades in the Old Testament. Both terms refer to the holding place of the dead.
These are not to be confused with purgatory. There is no such thing as purgatory. The Bible gives not even a hint of a place called purgatory. Purgatory is nothing more than a fantasy derived from the mind of mankind.
Even the Place of the Dead Will Not Be Exempt
(Verses 14-15) John records that it’ll not only be the dead found in Hades that will end up in the fiery lake of hell. Even the place itself that held all the unbelievers will be cast along into hell also.
No one will be missed or left behind that is destined to face the second resurrection and heading for the second death. If your name is not in the book of life, you’ve chosen to be among those who’ll experience the eternity of hell.
Things Are About To Drastically Change for the Best
Enough with all this talk of death and eternity. We’ve made it passed the great white throne judgment. We may have even witnessed some of our own family members being judged by Christ. Remember, we will also judge with Him.
Let’s turn our attention to something that our minds can hardly grasp. John is about to describe to us the ultimate and final reward for all of God’s children.
Let’s not be too hard on John. He’s going to do his best to describe what he sees. But in reality, we won’t feel the real impact of God’s glory of things to come until that very day we see it with our own resurrected eyes standing alongside our Savior, Jesus Christ. What a remarkably glorious day it’ll be.
If today you hear His voice, harden not your heart.
Even so, come quickly Lord Jesus.
<< Rev. 20:7-10 “What Happens After Jesus’ 1000 Year Reign?” | “Why a New Heaven and a New Earth? Rev. 21:1 >>