And for me, I believe that Jesus Christ is the eternal Son of God – that He is God, the Son. I also believe that God cannot lie – it is impossible for He who is Truth, to be false in any way. So when Christ says that “it shall be more tolerable for Tyre and Sidon at the day of judgment” than for the people of Bethsaida I have no doubt that it is true. And when He says “That it shall be more tolerable for the land of Sodom in the day of Judgment” than for the people of Capernaum – that is a fact. Those two statements make a study of “the day of judgment” not only important, but essential. Both the people of religious Capernaum and wicked Sodom will stand before the judgment bar of God. And both the people of Spokane and Post Falls will stand there as well.
There is a popular form of literature called “Historical Fiction.” In this writing style both real facts and imaginary fiction are blended together. Sometimes it is skillfully done and sometimes not so much. With some exceptions, the general purpose of historical fiction is entertainment.
Entirely different is a newspaper article written about the same real facts. A news article is supposed to inform, although it can mislead through what facts are not shared and the way that those facts are presented. The purpose of a news article is not supposed to entertain. There is a special art or kill to writing for a newspaper. There are special schools and classes to teach this special form of writing. And I am told that ideally, in the very first paragraph of the article five facts should be outlined. Those facts all answer questions that begin with letter “W” – “The five Ws” or “W5.” Who, what, where, when and why. Answer these questions well, and you should have a good news article.
When it comes to the subject of future judgment, we could take either of these approaches. I have heard some very fanciful, if not openly fictitious, sermons on hell and God’s White Throne Judgment. And I suppose that I have preached some messages which used more imagination than others. For example, I have preached from Revelation 20 with the title – “The World’s most Unusual Funeral.” This morning, in the light of Matthew 11, I’d like us to think about the day of Judgment as we see it in Revelation 20. And let’s approach it as investigative reporters – who, what, where, when and why.
I want you to see, first of all, about WHO it is that we’re discussing.
Despite the traditions and imaginations of some people, Satan is not involved in this judgment in any way. His last Biblical reference is in verse 10 – “And the devil that deceived them was cast into the lake of fire and brimstone, where the beast and the false prophet are, and shall be tormented day and night for ever and ever.” Satan is not being judged in verse 12, nor is he the judge. Some untaught people think that it is Satan who sends people to Hell. No sir, it the holy God of Heaven who sends souls into the Lake of Fire.
The Judge who sits upon this great, white throne is not named in verse 11. But assuming that verse 12 refers to the same person, we see that He is God. John describes the throne upon which He sits, but not the Being upon the throne….Why? Is it because in His glory the Lord is more than any human eye can behold? Perhaps he didn’t see anyone in that vision, just the glory which emanated from the Lord. It could it be that John assumed that it was Jehovah upon this throne because of the circumstances. This is the One from whom Heaven and Earth fled away like minnows from the shark. Who is greater than all Creation – only the Creator? The Lord Jesus once said, “Heaven and earth shall pass away, but MY words (the words of Christ) shall not pass away.” This is God upon the Judgment Throne – the Second person of Trinity to be more exact. “God the Father judgeth no man, but hath given all judgment unto Son” – John 5:22. II Timothy 4:1 tells us that it is the Lord Jesus Christ “who shall judge the quick and the dead.”
The other “who” in this passage are simply called “the dead.” In Matthew 11, the Lord Jesus confined His comments to Chorazin, Bethsaida, Capernaim, Tyre, Sidon and Sodom. But if He was here today, and on this pulpit, He might refer to Coeur d’Alene, Post Falls and Spokane. In Revelation 20:12 John testifies, “And I saw the dead, small and great, stand before God.” How accurate should the language of that news article be? Please notice the definite article “the” before the word “dead.” “And I saw the dead, small and great, stand before God.” God’s Word doesn’t say, ”And I saw some of the dead, small and great, stand before God.” It doesn’t say, “And I saw … dead, small and great, stand before God.” When it says “the dead” the meaning is quite clear – all the dead from the children of Adam and Eve to the children of last married or unmarried couple on earth. But of course, those with eternal life in Christ, will not be among them, because they are not dead.
These dead will be brought to court out of the prison cells of the sea, death and hell. I know that some preachers like to spiritualize these terms, but there is no reason to do that. The word “hell” in Greek is “hades,” and it refers to the place of the dead. It usually has reference to the place of dead souls. “Death” here apparently refers to the grave, the place of dead bodies. And the “sea” appears to refer to places where no actual grave can be found – like oceans. Some think of the “sea” as referring to the unnumbered masses of humanity. So we are talking about the dead, but what dead? Who does that include and exclude? It excludes those who have been resurrected before the Millennium. It excludes those who have been resurrected and translated before the seven year Tribulation. But who does it include? Who are standing here before the Throne of God to be judged? Those not raised or resurrected at the rapture. That is: all the lost and wicked from Cain to the last day prior to Revelation 20:11. This is a judgment of those outside of the Lord’s saving grace. These are people who have lived and died rejecting and/or hating Christ Jesus, the Saviour And that would include those of Chorazin, Bethsaida, Capernaum, Tyre, Sidon and Sodom. It would also include the unrepentant, unbelievers of Coeur d’Alene, Post Falls and Spokane.
The former worldly position and earthly fame of those people will be meaningless at that time. It will not matter if they were as religious as the people of Jerusalem, or as wicked at the people of Sodom. The only thing any importance will be their relationship – to or lack of relationship – with Christ. The dead – small and great – will stand as equals before the omniscient and omnipotent Judge.
Okay then, our next question is “WHEN.”
All that Christ Jesus tells us in Matthew is that this judgment is somewhere in the future. “I say unto you, it shall be more tolerable for Tyre and Sidon at the day of judgment than for you.” Today, more than 2,000 years have passed since the Son of God made that statement, but I believe that the judgment referred to is still in the future. Just because two millennia have passed, that doesn’t mean that there will never be any judgment.
I realize that there is some debate about the precise moment, but I’m not going to address that this morning. I will simply say that I believe that this great judgment will take place about 1,007 years from now. I make that statement because I am trying to take the Bible literally. Revelation 20 speaks a thousand years of Satanless existence. I believe that corresponds to the Old Testament prophesies of lambs and lions laying down together. That will be the day that rattlesnakes will replace baby’s rattles. None will hurt or destroy in all of God’s holy mount. There will be a millennium – a thousand years – of peace, with Christ directly ruling over His creation. Furthermore, I believe that this millennium is not far away as far as the calendar is concerned. The millennium is not here today; we have yet to await the King upon His throne. Perhaps only the seven-year tribulation stands between this moment and the millennium. But thankfully, it is not a thousand years that you and I have to await the arrival of the King, our Saviour. His return for the saints is imminent – according to a multitude of scriptures scattered throughout the Bible.
But getting back to this judgment – Remember that “one day is with Lord as a thousand years, and a thousand years are as a day.” The Lord is not confined to time the way that we are – He doesn’t reckon time with a watch or calendar. In timetable of the timeless God, this judgment is closer than your alarm-clock tomorrow morning. But in another way: for all intents and purposes this judgment is as close as the day of your death, if you die unrepentant and in your sins as did the people of Chorazin, Bethsaaida and Capernaum. If you die unsaved, your soul will be like the frozen remains of the wooly mammoth discovered in ice. Those creatures have been found almost instantaneously frozen, even with food in their mouths. What they were doing at the moment of their death has been almost eternally recorded. And similarly, the state of your soul the moment of your death, will remain unchanged until the day you stand before the One from whose face the heaven and earth fled away. Unfortunately I can’t say that from the time of death until Revelation 20:11 will feel like the blink of an eye. Because the soul of the unbeliever will spend that thousand years in Hades enduring torment. The people of Capernaum who died in Jesus’ day have spent 2,000 years in agony, and they will spend another thousand years before beginning eternity in even greater agony.
Why would anyone hesitate to turn to the Saviour? What an unnecessary risk?
Our next question is “WHERE.”
Where will these events take place; what will be the locale of this final judgment? If we take Revelation 20 chronologically, then it appears that the world as we know it will be gone. In fact, the universe itself may not exist any longer, awaiting new Heavens and a new earth. So will this take place suspended in a new kind of spaceless vacuum? I don’t know, nor do I think that our speculation is to much of a purpose. But I do know, it appears that this judgment will take place on the shore of a lake of fire. There will be no time lost in the execution of unregistered souls.
Obviously, this judgment will take place in front of the throne which John saw that day. That will be a royal seat of judgment – something which John, God’s seer, had never seen before. He was quite bedazzled by what he saw – he was essentially tongue tied. That throne was like it’s Holy Occupant – characterized with incorruptible purity. Some thrones have no right to exist; but this one demands existence. It is demanded by the collision of the Holy God and the presence of unrepentant sinners.
Please don’t ask me specifically where this will take place, because I don’t know. Essentially, it doesn’t matter very much. But this one thing I do know, there will be a place for this judgment. And this judgment shall occur just as we read of it here.
And again, precisely WHAT are we talking about?
Revelation 20 describes the judgment, condemnation and execution of those who have ignored Christ. Heaven and earth will have fled from before his face. But even though the sinner might wish for it, escape for HIM will be impossible. You might say, “But neither Matthew 11, nor Revelation 20 say anything about those who ‘ignore’ Christ.” That is true, but in Matthew, we have the presentation of Christ, His gospel and His miracles. While enjoying the bountiful grace of God in a wide variety of miraculous blessings, the recipients and their witnesses, have not bowed their knees before the King of kings. There hasn’t been any respect given to the message of John, Christ or any of his disciples. They have not repented before God, nor have they run to Christ for righteousness and salvation. And in Revelation the scripture speaks about those whose names are not written in Lamb’s Book of life. And who is that Lamb? To answer the question we go right back to the four gospels and the ministry of the Lord. John the Baptist, the theme of the first part of this chapter, pointed to Jesus the Christ, and said “Behold the Lamb of God which taketh away the sin of the world.” The Book of Revelation describes the Lamb as the one “who was dead, but who lived again.” Who could that possibly be if it was not one whom we call the Lord Jesus Christ?
This is a judgment of those who refused to fellowship with the Saviour, the Christ. This is the judgment of those who received and enjoyed the blessings of God without repenting before the holiness of that God. This is a judgment of those wicked in Tyre, Sidon and Sodom, but also the highly religious people of Bethsaida, Capernaum and Calvary Baptist. It will be based upon the records found in two kinds of books. The dead, whose names are not found in the Lamb’s book of life, shall be cast into the lake which burneth with fire and brimsone. And the degree of their torment will be based upon what is found in the other books mentioned by John. Salvation from sin is all of grace, but judgment is according to works, light and the rejection of God’s blessings. How is it that the unbelievers of Sidon and Sodom will find the judgment of God more tolerable than the unbelievers of Galilee? It will be because they are all judged out of those books which are brought up before the Great White Throne. Revelation describes the last judgment; the real supreme court. There will be no courts of appeal beyond this one. No lawyers and advocates will be present, objecting or petitioning the Judge. And it appears that there will be no uproar, no questions, and no dissension either. This is more like a simple sentencing than an actual trial. “He that believeth on the Son hath everlasting life, and he that believeth not the Son shall not see life; but the wrath of God (already) abideth on him.” There will be no pleading of cases. The only fact necessary is that their names are not found in Lamb’s book.
And that bring us to our last question: “WHY”?
It is all about Jehovah – not us, not sin, not Sodom or sodomites – it is all about God. What was the message preached by Christ when He was here upon this earth? Like John, it was – “Repent, for the Kingdom of God is at hand.” Repent?
Jehovah has been so very, very patient with humanity, from before the days of Chorizin and Capernaum. Our attitudes and our overt sins have begged God for our immediate destruction. The Lord is so gracious and merciful, slow to anger and plenteous in mercy. Yet, the time will come when His patience will be no more. “And the times of this ignorance God winked at; but now commandeth all men every where to repent.” The command of God is not to reform your life – clean out your heart like a cluttered garage. The command is to repent.
You cannot take a pencil or pen to enter your name in the Lamb’s book of life. It is the Lamb’s Book, and I assume that only He has ever written on it’s pages. You cannot enter your name on the page, but you can meet the Holy Scribe Himself. That is what the Lord Jesus was doing during His earthly ministry – introducing Himself. The people of Bethsaida saw His divine power, and they rejoiced in it. But they heard His sweet voice and their reaction to that was entirely different. When they were exhorted to repent, their native pride and depravity made them turn away.
I believe that there hasn’t been a name written in the Lamb’s Book of Life, since the time of creation. As Ephesians 1 tells us, God’s saved were chosen in Christ “before the foundation of the world.” On the divine side of the question, the Lamb’s Book of Life was written before the beginning of time. But on the human side of the equation, Christ “upbraided the people of the cities wherein most of his mighty words were done, because they repented not.” Have you repented before God, acknowledging your sin and avowing your hatred of that sin before God? Have you thrown yourself upon the Lord Jesus for His mercy? If you do not respond to God’s gracious patience and His constant blessings by listening to His word…. If you do not repent before Him, and turn from your sins…. If you do not cling to the Saviour for mercy and eternal life…. Then you too will find that “it shall be more tolerable for the land of Sodom in the the day of judgment than for thee.” “Ye must be born again.” Why not today? Why not now?