12/19/2019

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. The Revelation of Jesus Christ 20:11-15

Let’s put this passage of scripture in its context.

• It follows a series of events.
• It precedes New Jerusalem (NJ) Descending.

Before The Great White Throne.

• The Fall of Babylon
• Jesus and the Overcomers appear in an open Heaven riding on White Horses.
• The Devil bound for 1000 years.
• The Overcomers ruling as Kings for 1000 years.
• At the end of the 1000 years Satan is released.
• He gathers together the nations to fight against the camp of the Saints.
• Fire comes down from Heaven to destroy those gathered against the Saints.
• The devil is cast in the Lake of Fire.

After the Great White Throne. 

• Heaven and Earth have passed away.
• New Heaven, New Earth and New Jerusalem can be seen as manifested.

I see the Great White Throne as a transition.

• It comes between the End of the Old and the full manifestation of the New.

Fire came down out of Heaven killing all men actively opposing God & the Saints.

• This is the End of the Grape Harvest.
• This is the End of the entire plan of God.
• All that remains to be done is to Judge those who have died.
• This is the context of The Great White Throne.

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.

• Old Heaven and Old Earth flees from the presence of Him who is on the Throne.
• Who sits on the Throne?
• The Saints are One with Him who sits on the Throne.
• All Men who ever lived are either on the Throne or before the Throne.

How does our name come to be written in Book of Life?

• The phrase “Book of Life” occurs 8 times in scripture.
• The number 8 is the number of New Beginnings.

1) And I urge you also, true companion, help these women who labored with me in the gospel, with Clement also, and the rest of my fellow workers, whose names are in the Book of Life. Philippians 4:3

• Workers names are written in the Book of Life.
• Non-workers names are not.

2) He who overcomes shall be clothed in white garments, and I will not blot out his name from the Book of Life; but I will confess his name before My Father and before His angels. The Revelation of Jesus Christ 3:5

• Overcomer’s names are not blotted out of the Book of Life.
• Non-overcomer’s names are blotted out of the Book of Life.

3) All who dwell on the earth will worship him, whose names have not been written in the Book of Life of the Lamb slain from the foundation of the world. The Revelation of Jesus Christ 13:8

4) The beast that you saw was, and is not, and will ascend out of the bottomless pit and go to perdition. And those who dwell on the earth will marvel, whose names are not written in the Book of Life from the foundation of the world, when they see the beast that was, and is not, and yet is. The Revelation of Jesus Christ 17:8

• Those who worship the Beast do not have their names written in the Book of Life.
• They are called “those who dwell on the Earth”.
• They do not dwell in Heaven.
• Or in Heaven and on Earth.
• They only dwell on Earth.
• Dwell = live.
• Where do you live?

5) The Revelation of Jesus Christ 20:12 is part of the Great White Throne passage.

6) The Revelation of Jesus Christ 20:15 is part of the Great White Throne passage.

7) But there shall by no means enter it anything that defiles, or causes an abomination or a lie, but only those who are written in the Lamb’s Book of Life. The Revelation of Jesus Christ 21:27

• Only those whose names are written in the book of Life enter New Jerusalem.
• Only Overcomers enter New Jerusalem.

8) …and if anyone takes away from the words of the book of this prophecy, God shall take away his part from the Book of Life, from the holy city, and from the things which are written in this book. The Revelation of Jesus Christ 22:19

• The Revelation of Jesus Christ is the revelation of how to Overcome.
• Overcoming gives access to New Jerusalem.
• If you do not Overcome you do not enter New Jerusalem.
• Remember that seeing New Jerusalem is not entering New Jerusalem.
• Seeing the inside of New Jerusalem doesn’t mean that you have entered NJ.

What is the full truth about whose names are in the Book of Life?

• Those in the Beast do not have their names written in the Book of Life.
• Coming out of the Beast results in having your name in the Book of Life.
• Failing to overcome results in your name being blotted out of the Book of Life.
• Overcoming results in your name staying in the Book of Life.
• Anyone whose name is not found in the Book of Life is cast into the Lake of Fire.

The Dead are judged according to 2 things.

• The presence or absence of their names in the Book of Life.
• Their works as written in the other Books.

No one is judged based on their faith at the Great White Throne.

• It’s not based on what you believe.
• It’s based on what you have done because you believe.
• Faith without living works is dead faith.

Jesus told the city-wide ecclesia at Sardis:

Be watchful, and strengthen the things which remain, that are ready to die, for I have not found your works perfect before God. The Revelation of Jesus Christ 3:2

• Jesus is looking for “Perfect Works”.
• Perfect means “mature”, “complete” or “of full stature”.
• Overcomers have worked until their works are complete.
• They themselves are of full stature = grown to full height and size.

The Dead who are judged are located in 3 places before going before the GWT. 

• In Death
• In Hades
• In the Sea
• Death and Hades may be the same place.
• It is the believing and unbelieving Dead.
• The Sea is the unbelievers living in the Earth.
• The Saints are the Overcoming believers living on the Earth.

The Lake of Fire is not a place of torment.

• It is a place of purification.
• We all end up getting purified.
• It’s just a matter of when.
• And if it is voluntary or involuntary on our part.

New Jerusalem is for Overcomers.

• It is for those who have their names written in the Book of Life.
• They left Babylon and the Beast.
• They overcame.
• They entered into New Jerusalem.
• Everyone else ends up in the Lake of Fire.

The Lake of Fire is not just for unbelievers.

• It is for unbelievers.
• It is for believers who have failed to Overcome.
• Overcoming is required of all believers.

Why is the Great White Throne White?

• It is the same White as the White garments given to Overcomers.
• White is purity.
• We come to the Great White Throne already purified.
• Or we get purified after coming to the Great White Throne.
• The Great White Throne is the Overcomers Throne.

For if we would judge ourselves, we would not be judged. 1 Corinthians 11:31

Why come to the Great White Throne before that time? 

• To judge ourselves there so that we won’t be judged there.
• Then to participate in judging others there.

What is the nature of the Judgment at the great White Throne? 

• It is a Judgment to Life.
• It is a Judgment to Overcoming.
• Overcoming results in Life.

Come to the Great White Throne to be Judged!