“Then I saw a great white throne and Him who sat on it, from whose face the earth and the heaven fled away. And there was found no place for them. And I saw the dead, small and great, standing before God, and books were opened. And another book was opened, which is the Book of Life. And the dead were judged according to their works, by the things which were written in the books.
The sea gave up the dead who were in it, and Death and Hades delivered up the dead who were in them. And they were judged, each one according to his works. Then Death and Hades were cast into the lake of fire. This is the second death. And anyone not found written in the Book of Life was cast into the lake of fire” (Revelation 20:11-15).
This passage has been come to be known as “The Great White Throne Judgment” based on the description we find here in Revelation 20:11. “Great” signifies authority, “white” symbolizes purity, and the throne denotes the sovereign power of a king. In a poetic testament to those majestic qualities, God’s imposing presence caused even the earth and sky to flee away.
We should note that this judicial process will assess “…the dead, both small and great.” This tells us that the recognition, power, wealth, status, or influence we enjoy now will have no influence then. Who you are now will not matter in that eternal court. Instead, what you are now will serve as the deciding factor then. One commentator makes a critical observation in this regard…
“It is sobering to realize that Scripture represents the state of unbelievers after death as a fixed state. There is no second chance (Ecclesiastes 11:3; Luke 16:19-31; John 8:21,24; 2 Peter 2:4,9; Jude 7,13). The Scriptures also reveal that the condemnation of unbelievers is determined by actions done during mortal life (especially the action of rejecting Christ)…” (1)
Another source adds a comment that is worthy of our attention…
“Judgment is not a popular theme today, but the Bible teaches that judgment is coming. Do you look forward to Christ’s return, or do you see it as a threat? As sure as death itself, judgment awaits. At God’s judgment there will be no higher court of appeal should the verdict not be to your liking. If you hope for a favorable verdict in this court, put your hope entirely on Jesus. Pray today-now if you haven’t before-for the freedom and pardon Jesus has won for you.” (2)
Portions of this study originally appeared here
(1) Ron Rhodes, Heaven: The Undiscovered Country: Exploring the Wonder of the Afterlife pg.47
(2) Life Application Study Bible [Hebrews 9:27] Copyright © 1988, 1989, 1991, 1993, 1996, 2004 by Tyndale House Publishers Inc., all rights reserved.