Eternity

 Temple Baptist Church - 3-20-2022

Revelation 21:1-5

 

A.  Verse 1.  For the next few weeks, we will be looking ahead into eternity.  What is eternity? A forever lack of time that holds neither past nor future.  An eternal moment.  Eternity is a doctrine to which we hold but one that is hard to explain.  We serve an eternal God.  One who has neither beginning nor end.  Many people deny God because they cannot understand nor grasp an eternal Being.  When we see the new heaven and new earth, things will be eternally different from what we know today.

 

B.  Time will be no more.  Satan, the beast, and the false prophet are in the Lake of Fire.  The wicked of earth are no longer.  Sin and sinners have received their final judgment and have joined the forementioned in the Lake of Fire.  For this, my heart aches!  The heaven and the earth of old have been purified and the new heaven and new earth are here in all their perfection as the curse of sin is gone. 

 

C.  We will now see our eternal home in the New Jerusalem.  The Jerusalem of old will have perished in the renovation of the earth and I believe that the Bible implies that the New Jerusalem will sit in its place.  To hover over the earth or to sit on the earth is not clear but where everything started, I believe that everything will end.  By end, I simply mean the culmination of 7,000 years on earth have come to an end and our eternal earth returned as it was to its original glory and intent.

 

D.  The city of Jerusalem has been called "The Eternal City" is manifested in the New Jerusalem.  As to when the New Jerusalem was made, no one knows but our Lord referenced it in John 14:2,  "In my Father's house are many mansions: if it were not so, I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you."  Our Lord, the Creator of all things, spoke of its existence, not its building in this verse.  It was already there.

 

E.  Verse 2.  "And I John saw the holy city"  The New Jerusalem is a holy city.  "new Jerusalem" The New Jerusalem is a new city in which no one has ever lived.  "coming down from God out of heaven"  The New Jerusalem is a heavenly city whose builder and maker is God.  "prepared as a bride"  In the Old Testament, the groom could not go get his bride until it was established that her home was ready to be moved into.  The New Jerusalem is a perfectly prepared city for a perfectly prepared people.  "adorned"  The Bible has more to say about this adornment later in the chapter, but the New Jerusalem is the most beautiful city ever beheld.  "for her husband."  The New Jerusalem is a purposed city.  It was made for the Husband's bride to live in.

 

F.  Verse 3.  Once more, God will live with men.  This was the purpose of the Tabernacle in the Wilderness and the building of two Temples:

 

Moses' Tabernacle in the Wilderness.  Exodus 25:8  And let them make me a sanctuary; that I may dwell among them. 

 

Exodus 25:22  And there I will meet with thee, and I will commune with thee from above the mercy seat, from between the two cherubims which are upon the ark of the testimony, of all things which I will give thee in commandment unto the children of Israel.

 

Solomon's Temple build by Solomon.  2 Samuel 7:12-13  And when thy days be fulfilled, and thou shalt sleep with thy fathers, I will set up thy seed after thee, which shall proceed out of thy bowels, and I will establish his kingdom.  (13)  He shall build an house for my name, and I will stablish the throne of his kingdom for ever.

 

Zerubbabel's Temple build by Ezra.  Ezra 1:2  Thus saith Cyrus king of Persia, The LORD God of heaven hath given me all the kingdoms of the earth; and he hath charged me to build him an house at Jerusalem, which is in Judah.

 

Zechariah 4:8-9  Moreover the word of the LORD came unto me, saying,  (9)  The hands of Zerubbabel have laid the foundation of this house; his hands shall also finish it; and thou shalt know that the LORD of hosts hath sent me unto you.

 

With the Old Testament Saint.  Job 23:10-14  But he knoweth the way that I take: when he hath tried me, I shall come forth as gold.  (11)  My foot hath held his steps, his way have I kept, and not declined.  (12)  Neither have I gone back from the commandment of his lips; I have esteemed the words of his mouth more than my necessary food.  (13)  But he is in one mind, and who can turn him? and what his soul desireth, even that he doeth.  (14)  For he performeth the thing that is appointed for me: and many such things are with him.

 

In The Heart of the Believer.  Hebrews 13:5  Let your conversation be without covetousness; and be content with such things as ye have: for he hath said, I will never leave thee, nor forsake thee.

 

G.  The eternal presence of God with His people.  As "the voice of the LORD God walking in the garden in the cool of the day," the Voice of the LORD God will walk with us in the New Jerusalem.  As the LORD God fellowshipped with Adam, so will be our fellowship with Him in eternity.  He will dwell with us and we shall be His people and He will be our God.  This was the original intent of man's creation and it will be the eternal state of his people.

 

Psalms 23:1-6  A Psalm of David. The LORD is my shepherd; I shall not want.  (2)  He maketh me to lie down in green pastures: he leadeth me beside the still waters.  (3)  He restoreth my soul: he leadeth me in the paths of righteousness for his name's sake.  (4)  Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil: for thou art with me; thy rod and thy staff they comfort me.  (5)  Thou preparest a table before me in the presence of mine enemies: thou anointest my head with oil; my cup runneth over.  (6)  Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life: and I will dwell in the house of the LORD for ever.

 

1 Thessalonians 4:17  Then we which are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air: and so shall we ever be with the Lord.

 

H.  Verses 1, 4, 5.  In these verses, we are allowed some insight into the eternal state of mankind in the new heaven and the new earth.

 

No More Sea.  Currently three-fourths of the earth’s surface is water.  In chapter 20, the sea gave up the dead which were in it because there will be no more sea.  First, the seas of earth are its purification plants.  In our current water cycle, much of the purification of water comes through the agitation and salt of the sea.  Salt is used for savor, preservation, and cleansing.  There will be no defilement and no need of purification.  Also, the climatic conditions of the new earth will return to the beginning where the earth will be watered from withing by a mist rising from the ground.  Also, the three-fourths of the earth's surface will be needed to sustain the saved of all the ages because of the multitudes that will live there.

 

Genesis 2:4-6  These are the generations of the heavens and of the earth when they were created, in the day that the LORD God made the earth and the heavens,  (5)  And every plant of the field before it was in the earth, and every herb of the field before it grew: for the LORD God had not caused it to rain upon the earth, and there was not a man to till the ground.  (6)  But there went up a mist from the earth, and watered the whole face of the ground.

 

No More Tears.  I love the phrase "And God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes."  This is a very personal thing.  As our mothers wiped away the tears that fell from our eyes and brought comfort to us, God will wipe all tears from our eyes which speaks of eternal comfort and joy.

 

Matthew 5:4  Blessed are they that mourn: for they shall be comforted.

 

No More Death.  A land where we will never grow old and feeble!  No more tears because there will be no more death of loved ones.  Today, we die to go be with the Lord, then we shall forever be with the Lord and our bodies, because of lack of sin, will decay no more. 

 

John 11:35  Jesus wept.

 

1 Thessalonians 4:13  But I would not have you to be ignorant, brethren, concerning them which are asleep, that ye sorrow not, even as others which have no hope.

 

No More Sorrow.  Because of the entrance of sin into this world, we are brought into this world through the sorrow of childbirth and lives filled with the sorrows of sin, disappointment, sickness, and death.  These things will be non-existent in eternity!  God's peoples will be an eternally happy people.

 

Genesis 3:16  Unto the woman he said, I will greatly multiply thy sorrow and thy conception; in sorrow thou shalt bring forth children; and thy desire shall be to thy husband, and he shall rule over thee.

 

Psalms 30:5  For his anger endureth but a moment; in his favour is life: weeping may endure for a night, but joy cometh in the morning.

 

No More Pain.  I love this portion of the verse.  The older we get, the more that pain becomes a way of life.  Someone said, "If you cannot endure pain, die young!"  The pain of the body but also the pain that is spiritual as we see things that disturb us transpire.  The New Jerusalem, along with the new earth, will be perfect places for God's children to dwell.

 

J.  "For the former things are passed away."  Passed away means that these things that bring about tears in this life will be no longer and the memories of them will no longer bring tears in eternity to come.  "What a day, Glorious day that will be!"

A Pastor’s Joy

 Temple Baptist Church - 3-20-22 Homecoming Service

3 John 1-4

 

Introduction:

 

A.  35 years in this pulpit have been both a privilege and a joy.  Where have the years gone?  Truly it has been like a vapor that has vanished away; faster than a weaver's shuttle the time has passed. 

 

B.  I remember the first day that my family was here like it was yesterday.  How the church looked that Sunday morning; the people that were here that first day; what I taught and preached from this pulpit.  Wonderful memories.

 

C.  Every time I turn on Easy Street, I remember following Bro. Harold and Mrs. Joan to their home.  As I turn on Lisbon Road, I can still see the tall pines that lined the road.  Bro. Carroll and Mrs. Iris went to get Kentucky Fried Chicken for lunch.  I remember sitting on the couch and enjoying the afternoon with these families. 

 

D.  I remember the first time Tommy Holbrooks came for a revival.  We went shopping for a sound system for the church.  That was the first of almost 30 years of Tommy's coming to Temple.  I remember Bro. Jimmie Clark coming year after year and, later, Bro. Frank Pittman.  What a blessing it was to pastor such a special church.

 

E.  I look around this morning, and much of the "scenery" has changed over the years, but the church remains the same.  Special people sitting on special pews in a special church.  I am thrilled this morning for being allowed to stand in this special pulpit where so many special men of God have stood.

 

F.  I think back over the years of all the missionary families that have impacted our lives and how man missionary families have been impacted by Temple Baptist Church.  This small church and these special people are known around the world today because of its mission outreach.  Millions of dollars well spent sharing the glorious gospel of Jesus Christ to the four corners of the earth.

 

G. It is special to find a church still standing in the same Old Paths that it walked in so many years ago.  Temple Baptist Church is "an anchor in the shifting sands" of religion.  They have left us, we did not leave them.  They changed, we did not.

 

H.  It is a special church that allows a man of God the opportunity to see them, their children, their grandchildren, and now their great grandchildren.  That is out of the ordinary in our day.

 

J.  Paul, when writing to the church at Thessalonica, said this: "For what is our hope, or joy, or crown of rejoicing? Are not even ye in the presence of our Lord Jesus Christ at his coming?  (20)  For ye are our glory and joy." (1 Thessalonians 2:19-20)

 

K.  It has also been a bitter-sweet experience,

 

1.  To see many who helped to make this church what it is today who have gone home to be with the Lord.  I sure miss our brothers and sisters in Christ who died but will one day soon be forever with them.

 

2.  But also, it has been a joy to see those who came and picked up the sword of the Word of God and continued to walk in their paths. 

 

L.  What is a pastor's joy?

 

1.  The Joy of sweet Fellowship with God’s People.  What a joy to be here today with this special people! 

 

2.  The Joy of Encouraging God’s People.  In thick and in thin.  Just the joy of being there with you in the hard times as well as the good times.

 

The Joy of Bearing The Burdens of God’s People.  Praying for one another through tough times for you and also for this pastor's family. 

 

4.  The Joy Of Having A Part of Your Lives.  Barbara and I care about your families.  Watching as your children grow up while being exposed to old fashioned church.

 

5.  The Joy of Seeing God’s People Unified.  Unfortunately, there have been times when old "Slew Foot" tried to get his foot in the door, but we stood together in those times and God has rewarded us for it.  You did not leave and neither did I.  We are Temple and we are one!

 

6.  The Joy of Standing And Walking in The Old Paths.  Because of this, we have been called a lot of things.  Because of this, I have been called a lot of things, but one thing that we have not been called is "liberal."  The Bible calls it "the good way!"

 

Jeremiah 6:16  Thus saith the LORD, Stand ye in the ways, and see, and ask for the old paths, where is the good way, and walk therein, and ye shall find rest for your souls. But they said, We will not walk therein.

 

THEY WERE AND ARE CLEAR PATHS; THEY WERE AND ARE STRAIGHT PATHS; THEY WERE AND ARE THE RIGHT PATHS!

 

7.  Joy of Giving Account For God’s Faithful People.  Temple, you have done well! 

 

Hebrews 13:17  Obey them that have the rule over you, and submit yourselves: for they watch for your souls, as they that must give account, that they may do it with joy, and not with grief: for that is unprofitable for you.

 

Conclusion:  May God keep us in His will in these last days and allow us to continue to do something for the glory of God and for the souls of a lost world!

The Importance of The Church

 Temple Baptist Church - 3-13-2022

Psalms 122

Introduction: 

 

A.  I thank God for the local church.  For the past 45+ years, our home has been centered around it.  Church is a place to be enjoyed, not endured.  A place where we can come out of the world for a little while and worship the Lord in spirit and in truth.  A place where God's people come to worship and fellowship around the things of God.  A little bit of heaven on earth!

 

B.  Much is said in the Bible along these lines:

 

Psalms 65:4  Blessed is the man whom thou choosest, and causest to approach unto thee, that he may dwell in thy courts: we shall be satisfied with the goodness of thy house, even of thy holy temple.

 

Psalms 84:2  My soul longeth, yea, even fainteth for the courts of the LORD: my heart and my flesh crieth out for the living God.

 

Psalms 84:10  For a day in thy courts is better than a thousand. I had rather be a doorkeeper in the house of my God, than to dwell in the tents of wickedness.

 

Psalms 92:13  Those that be planted in the house of the LORD shall flourish in the courts of our God.

 

Psalms 96:8  Give unto the LORD the glory due unto his name: bring an offering, and come into his courts.

 

Psalms 100:4  Enter into his gates with thanksgiving, and into his courts with praise: be thankful unto him, and bless his name.

 

Psalms 122:1  I was glad when they said unto me, Let us go into the house of the LORD. 

 

C.  In verse 1, David said, "I was glad when they said unto me, Let us go into the house of the LORD."  In this Psalm, we find our why David was glad:

 

1.  God’s House is a place of Stability - vs 2

 

2.  God’s House is a place of Unity - vs 3

 

3.  God’s House is a place of Testimony - vs 4a

 

4.  God’s House is a place of Worship - vs 4b

 

5.  God’s House is a place of Judgment - vs 5a

 

6.  God’s House is a place of Promise - vs 5b

 

7.  God’s House is a place of Peace - vs 6a, 7a

 

8.  God’s House is a place of Affection - vs 6b

 

9.  God’s House is a place of Prosperity - vs 7b

 

10.  God’s House is a place of Companionship - vs 8

 

11.  God’s House is a place of Sharing - vs 9

 

A New Heaven and A New Earth

 Temple Baptist Church - 3-13-2022

Revelation 21:1; 20:11

 

A.  In Revelation 21:1, we find a reference to a "new" heaven and earth with not much said in the preceding verses concerning when, how, and why this is necessary in the light of eternity.  I will carefully compare scripture with scripture to establish this.  The key to its timing is found in chapter 20 as we find that the earth that we live on along with the heaven that we live under "fled away; and there was found no place for them."  Fled away means that they must leave, and no place found for them means that they will have no part of eternity because of their former condition and purpose.

 

Revelation 20:11  And I saw a great white throne, and him that sat on it, from whose face the earth and the heaven fled away; and there was found no place for them.

 

B.  This verse tells us the timing of the renovation of heaven and earth.  It is evidently a simultaneous event with the Great White Throne Judgment.  In order for the judgment to take place and also for the renovation to take place, several things had to immediately come to pass.  I will deal with them a little bit later in this message.

 

C.  In order to understand the last mention of heaven and earth, we need to go the first mention of the heaven and earth in Genesis, chapter 1.

 

On the first day of creation, the Bible establishes the creation of our atmosphere and the earth: Genesis 1:1  In the beginning God created the heaven and the earth.

 

In this verse, we see that both heaven and earth are singular.  This is not the creation of our universe but of the heaven in which we live and breathe.

 

On the fourth day of creation, the Bible establishes the creation of our universe.  Genesis 1:14-18  And God said, Let there be lights in the firmament of the heaven to divide the day from the night; and let them be for signs, and for seasons, and for days, and years:  (15)  And let them be for lights in the firmament of the heaven to give light upon the earth: and it was so.  (16)  And God made two great lights; the greater light to rule the day, and the lesser light to rule the night: he made the stars also.  (17)  And God set them in the firmament of the heaven to give light upon the earth,  (18)  And to rule over the day and over the night, and to divide the light from the darkness: and God saw that it was good.

 

Genesis 1:31  And God saw every thing that he had made, and, behold, it was very good. And the evening and the morning were the sixth day.

 

D.  In the day that God created the heaven and the earth along with the universe, they were declared to be "good."  Later all of creation was declared "very good."  These two instances shows that they were created in perfection and purity.  There was no curse.

 

E.  In Genesis chapter 3, we find the fall and along with it, the curse that fell upon God's creation.  This curse has remained until this day and will remain until Revelation 20:15.

 

The Curse of this Earth - Genesis 3:17-19  And unto Adam he said, Because thou hast hearkened unto the voice of thy wife, and hast eaten of the tree, of which I commanded thee, saying, Thou shalt not eat of it: cursed is the ground for thy sake; in sorrow shalt thou eat of it all the days of thy life;  (18)  Thorns also and thistles shall it bring forth to thee; and thou shalt eat the herb of the field;  (19)  In the sweat of thy face shalt thou eat bread, till thou return unto the ground; for out of it wast thou taken: for dust thou art, and unto dust shalt thou return.

 

Genesis 5:29  And he called his name Noah, saying, This same shall comfort us concerning our work and toil of our hands, because of the ground which the LORD hath cursed.

 

Isaiah 24:4-6  The earth mourneth and fadeth away, the world languisheth and fadeth away, the haughty people of the earth do languish.  (5)  The earth also is defiled under the inhabitants thereof; because they have transgressed the laws, changed the ordinance, broken the everlasting covenant.  (6)  Therefore hath the curse devoured the earth, and they that dwell therein are desolate: therefore the inhabitants of the earth are burned, and few men left.

 

The Curse of the Heavens - Job 25:5  Behold even to the moon, and it shineth not; yea, the stars are not pure in his sight.

 

F.  In the New Testament, we find these former verses paralleled:  Romans 8:22  For we know that the whole creation groaneth and travaileth in pain together until now.

 

"The whole creation" refers to both the heavens and the earth that God created.

 

G.  Today, our earth has hurricanes, tornadoes, droughts, flooding, earthquakes, volcanic eruptions, etc. because of the groaning and travailing in "pain together until now."  There were none of these things before the fall of man as they are a part of the curse of sin.

 

Revelation 21:1  And I saw a new heaven and a new earth: for the first heaven and the first earth were passed away; and there was no more sea.

 

Before there can be a "new heaven and a new earth," this cursed universe must be done away with and the heaven (our atmosphere) and earth in which live must have that curse removed.

 

Chapter 21, verse 11 gives us the when of the renovation.

 

H.  We see the when, now let us look at the how of renovation of the heaven and earth.  As I previously said, the judgment and curse of sin will be renovated at the same time.  Chapter 21 begins with the word "And" which implies these are simultaneous events.  2 Peter, chapter 3, gives us the "how" of this event.

 

2 Peter 3:10-13  But the day of the Lord will come as a thief in the night; in the which the heavens shall pass away with a great noise, and the elements shall melt with fervent heat, the earth also and the works that are therein shall be burned up.  (11)  Seeing then that all these things shall be dissolved, what manner of persons ought ye to be in all holy conversation and godliness,  (12)  Looking for and hasting unto the coming of the day of God, wherein the heavens being on fire shall be dissolved, and the elements shall melt with fervent heat?  (13)  Nevertheless we, according to his promise, look for new heavens and a new earth, wherein dwelleth righteousness.

 

J.  Two things take place here: 1) the heavens will pass away with a great noise, 2) and the elements shall melt with fervent heat.  This is reiterated in verse 12, "the heavens being on fire shall be dissolved, and the elements shall melt with fervent heat." 

 

Nuclear fission is the splitting of an atom into two or more particles.  Atomic bombs use nuclear fission, which means they gain energy by splitting atoms in materials such as uranium or plutonium.  We hear much in our day concerning the enrichment of bomb grade uranium and plutonium.

 

Elements are primary or basic constituents of matter.  These are substances that cannot be chemically broken down.  The word "elements" is one that is well known in science: there are 118 elements found in the Periodic Table of Elements where they are organized in order of increasing atomic numbers: the number of protons in the nuclei of its atoms.

 

What the Bible is saying is that the heavens and the earth will be purified down to its primary constituents!  No sin or curse will remain!

 

K.  The timing is a part of the "day of the LORD."  The phrase "day of the LORD" is found 31 times in your King James Bible with the word "LORD" capitalized in each instance.  When the word LORD is found in all capital letters, it’s representing the word "yeh-ho-vaw" or Jehovah: the self-Existent One or the Eternal One.  It is the Jewish national name of God.  The phrase "Day of the LORD" refers to the day of destruction and judgment for those who have rejected Him and His salvation.  It refers to the end of all things as we know it.

 

L.  Revelation 20:13  And the sea gave up the dead which were in it; and death and hell delivered up the dead which were in them: and they were judged every man according to their works.

 

The sea had to give up the dead which were in it because there would be no seas on the new eternal earth.

 

Death or the grave had to give up the dead where were in them because there would be no graves on the new eternal earth.

 

Hell had to give up the dead which was in it because there would be no hell in the center of the new eternal earth.

 

The Sun, moon, and stars had to dissolve because there would be no need of them in eternity where there will be no night and God will be the Light.

 

M.  In the beginning, the earth was surrounded by a canopy that gave it a "greenhouse effect."

 

Genesis 1:6-8  And God said, Let there be a firmament in the midst of the waters, and let it divide the waters from the waters.  (7)  And God made the firmament, and divided the waters which were under the firmament from the waters which were above the firmament: and it was so.  (8)  And God called the firmament Heaven. And the evening and the morning were the second day.

 

N.  The canopy was removed when the LORD flooded the earth and for the first time, man knew the 4 seasons.

 

Genesis 7:11  In the six hundredth year of Noah's life, in the second month, the seventeenth day of the month, the same day were all the fountains of the great deep broken up, and the windows of heaven were opened.

 

Genesis 8:22  While the earth remaineth, seedtime and harvest, and cold and heat, and summer and winter, and day and night shall not cease.

 

O.  As the first earth was surrounded by a canopy which was necessary for the Garden of Eden to flourish, the new earth will possibly have a canopy as it will be like the Garden of Eden forever.

 

P.  In the beginning, God made all without the curse of sin and it was very good.  In the end, God will renovate a heaven and earth that will be very good forever.  That sounds like home to me.

The Great White Throne Judgment

 Temple Baptist Church - 3-6-2022

Revelation 20:11-15

 

A.  How quickly things change.  Satan is forever gone.  We will now live forever without his ungodly presence to contend with.  I often made a statement when leaving someone: "I am going to do something that Satan will never do.  I am going to leave you alone."   What a day that will be.

 

B.  Life as we now know it will be forever over as the 7 days or 7000 years of God's time are expired and "time is no more."  No more calendars; no more clocks; no more appointments; no more stress or worry.  In chapter 21, we will see the 7 no mores.

 

C.  Eternity has begun, and we are finally home.  We will be everything that God initially intended us to be.  Man was made for God, and we will have become one with Him.  This is what marriage is all about: that the twain will become one flesh.  Not that we will become God but, as the wife becomes one with her husband—we will become one with God.

 

D.  Now we have come to a tragic moment of eternity: the Great White Throne Judgment.  I believe that we will stand there in the presence of the Righteous Judge, the Lord Jesus Christ, as witnesses of God's salvation that the ungodly could have had but rejected.

 

Psalms 91:8  Only with thine eyes shalt thou behold and see the reward of the wicked.

 

E.  1.  The Reality of the Great White Throne Judgment.  “And I saw a great white throne”  Prophesied in both the Old and New Testaments.

 

Daniel 7:9-10  I beheld till the thrones were cast down, and the Ancient of days did sit, whose garment was white as snow, and the hair of his head like the pure wool: his throne was like the fiery flame, and his wheels as burning fire.  (10)  A fiery stream issued and came forth from before him: thousand thousands ministered unto him, and ten thousand times ten thousand stood before him: the judgment was set, and the books were opened.

 

F.  The Judge of the Great White Throne Judgment.  “and him that sat on it”  Jesus Christ.

 

John 5:22, 27  For the Father judgeth no man, but hath committed all judgment unto the Son …  (27)  And hath given him authority to execute judgment also, because he is the Son of man.

 

Acts 10:42  And he commanded us to preach unto the people, and to testify that it is he which was ordained of God to be the Judge of quick and dead.

 

2 Timothy 4:1  I charge thee therefore before God, and the Lord Jesus Christ, who shall judge the quick and the dead at his appearing and his kingdom;

 

G.  The Time of the Great White Throne Judgment.  (20:7, 21:1) “And when the thousand years are expired … the earth and the heaven fled away; and there was found no place for them.”

 

1.  Between the end of the Millennium and at the beginning of eternity - Revelation 20:11  And I saw a great white throne, and him that sat on it, from whose face the earth and the heaven fled away; and there was found no place for them.

 

2. While the earth is being purified and made new - 2 Peter 3:10-13  But the day of the Lord will come as a thief in the night; in the which the heavens shall pass away with a great noise, and the elements shall melt with fervent heat, the earth also and the works that are therein shall be burned up.  (11)  Seeing then that all these things shall be dissolved, what manner of persons ought ye to be in all holy conversation and godliness,  (12)  Looking for and hasting unto the coming of the day of God, wherein the heavens being on fire shall be dissolved, and the elements shall melt with fervent heat?  (13)  Nevertheless we, according to his promise, look for new heavens and a new earth, wherein dwelleth righteousness.

 

3.  Prior to the New Heaven and New Earth - Revelation 21:1  And I saw a new heaven and a new earth: for the first heaven and the first earth were passed away; and there was no more sea.

 

H.  The People of the Great White Throne Judgment.  “And I saw the dead, small and great, stand before God … And the sea gave up the dead which were in it; and death and hell delivered up the dead which were in them”  The unsaved of all the ages.

 

John 5:28-29  Marvel not at this: for the hour is coming, in the which all that are in the graves shall hear his voice,  (29)  And shall come forth; they that have done good, unto the resurrection of life; and they that have done evil, unto the resurrection of damnation.

 

Daniel 12:2  And many of them that sleep in the dust of the earth shall awake, some to everlasting life, and some to shame and everlasting contempt.

 

J.  The Criteria of the Great White Throne Judgment.  “and the books were opened: and another book was opened, which is the book of life: and the dead were judged out of those things which were written in the books, according to their works.”

 

1.  The Book of Life - Daniel 12:1-2  And at that time shall Michael stand up, the great prince which standeth for the children of thy people: and there shall be a time of trouble, such as never was since there was a nation even to that same time: and at that time thy people shall be delivered, every one that shall be found written in the book.  (2)  And many of them that sleep in the dust of the earth shall awake, some to everlasting life, and some to shame and everlasting contempt.

 

Philippians 4:3  And I intreat thee also, true yokefellow, help those women which laboured with me in the gospel, with Clement also, and with other my fellowlabourers, whose names are in the book of life.

 

Revelation 20:15  And whosoever was not found written in the book of life was cast into the lake of fire. (Exodus 32:32-33; Psalm 69:28; Philippians 4:3; Rev elation 3:5, 13:8, 17:8, 21:27, 22:19.)

 

2.  The Book of Works - Revelation 20:12  And I saw the dead, small and great, stand before God; and the books were opened: and another book was opened, which is the book of life: and the dead were judged out of those things which were written in the books, according to their works. (Matthew 16:27; 2 Corinthians 11:15)

 

a)  The Book of Words - Matthew 12:36-37  But I say unto you, That every idle word that men shall speak, they shall give account thereof in the day of judgment.  (37)  For by thy words thou shalt be justified, and by thy words thou shalt be condemned.

 

b)  The Book of Secrets - Romans 2:16  In the day when God shall judge the secrets of men by Jesus Christ according to my gospel.

 

Ecclesiastes 12:13-14  Let us hear the conclusion of the whole matter: Fear God, and keep his commandments: for this is the whole duty of man.  (14)  For God shall bring every work into judgment, with every secret thing, whether it be good, or whether it be evil.

 

c)  The book of Conscience - Romans 2:12-16  For as many as have sinned without law shall also perish without law: and as many as have sinned in the law shall be judged by the law;  (13)  (For not the hearers of the law are just before God, but the doers of the law shall be justified.  (14)  For when the Gentiles, which have not the law, do by nature the things contained in the law, these, having not the law, are a law unto themselves:  (15)  Which shew the work of the law written in their hearts, their conscience also bearing witness, and their thoughts the mean while accusing or else excusing one another;)  (16)  In the day when God shall judge the secrets of men by Jesus Christ according to my gospel.

 

K.  The Eternal Punishment of the Great White Throne Judgment.

 

1.  The eternal home of the Unsaved.  Revelation 20:14-15  And death and hell were cast into the lake of fire. This is the second death.  (15)  And whosoever was not found written in the book of life was cast into the lake of fire.

 

2.  The eternal home of the beast and false prophet.  Revelation 19:20  And the beast was taken, and with him the false prophet that wrought miracles before him, with which he deceived them that had received the mark of the beast, and them that worshipped his image. These both were cast alive into a lake of fire burning with brimstone.

 

3.  The eternal home of the devil.  Revelation 20:10  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.