The Second Death

Dr. Robert C. Crowder

The Revelation of Jesus Christ • Sermon • Submitted 2 years ago

Revelation 20:7–15

Judgment

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Finally, the end of Satan's reign will end and his judgment is sure.

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Revelation 20:7-15

Revelation 20:7-15 And when the thousand years are expired, Satan shall be loosed out of his prison, 8 And shall go out to deceive the nations which are in the four quarters of the earth, Gog and Magog, to gather them together to battle: the number of whom [is] as the sand of the sea. 9 And they went up on the breadth of the earth, and compassed the camp of the saints about, and the beloved city: and fire came down from God out of heaven, and devoured them. 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. 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. 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. 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. 14 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.

Introduction

The first six verses of the twentieth chapter cover the one-thousand-year reign of Christ. During that time, Satan is bound, and will have no influence on man.

Today we will look at the end of the Millennial reign and the ultimate battle of evil against God. And finally, we will look at what is referred to as the “Great White Throne” judgment of the LORD.

The Fall of Satan

Revelation 20:7 And when the thousand years are expired, Satan shall be loosed out of his prison,

At the end of the literal 1,000-year reign of Christ on the earth, Satan will once again be free to spread his hatred and evil in the hearts of man. He will be let out of the abyss, presumably by the same angel that put him there.

Revelation 20:8 And shall go out to deceive the nations which are in the four quarters of the earth, Gog and Magog, to gather them together to battle: the number of whom is as the sand of the sea.

“And shall go out to deceive the nations which are in the four quarters of the earth…”

The book of the Revelation is the revealing of Jesus Christ and contains the events of the last things. Chronologically, this is the last hurrah of Satan. This will be the last of his rebellion. The last of his deceitfulness. The last of his attacks against God. But Satan will only have “a little season” in which to work (Rev 20:3)

For a thousand years, man has been under the influence of Jesus as the King of the earth. According to Jesus, there will be marrying and having families during the 1,000 years. Generations will be born and they, like the children of Israel in the wilderness, will make their own decisions on who they will follow. You would think that under the ideal conditions of being in the presence of Jesus all men would not only look to Jesus as King, but also as their Savior. However, as we will learn, not everyone confesses Jesus as his or her savior. The prophet Jeremiah says,’ “The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately wicked: who can know it?” (Jeremiah 17:9). Man still has the original sin nature and free will and according to the book of Romans, “there is none righteous, no not one” (Rom. 3:10). The prophet Isaiah writes, “all our righteousnesses are as filthy rags.” (Isa. 64:6)

Therefore, it should come as no surprise that there is trouble brewing in paradise and that Satan will be able to persuade countless numbers of followers to his cause, “the number of whom is as the sand of the sea.”

Gog and Magog

“…Gog and Magog…”

From these two words come varying opinions concerning who or what they are or what they represent. There are no more kings as Jesus is the King over the earthly kingdom. Gone are the kings that ruled during the Tribulation period. At some point, Gog, a ruler replaces them, and Magog is defined as a people. These rebel against God.

I believe that the straightforward way to look at the reference of Gog and Magog is simply, in the book of Ezekiel, the events surrounding Gog and Magog are premillennial. In the Revelation, this battle with Gog and Magog is postmillennial.

“…to gather them together to battle…”

Gog and Magog, under the control of Satan gathers the new rebellion for battle.

“…the number of whom is as the sand of the sea…”

John cannot easily number the rebels, so he simply says they are numerous as the sand of the sea. I wonder if Satan is surprised by the success in finding a world so ready to listen to his rebellious words and then ready to follow him? The “Deceiver” will once again present his case against God,

Revelation 20:9 And they went up on the breadth of the earth, and compassed the camp of the saints about, and the beloved city: and fire came down from God out of heaven, and devoured them.

This mighty army, orchestrated by Satan, and under the guidance of Gog and Magog, marches against Christ with one goal in mind: total destruction! The goal is to abolish and annihilate Christ’s kingdom and those who love Him.

“…and compassed the camp of the saints about, and the beloved city…”

It would be difficult to understand “camp of the saints” and “the beloved city” to be anything other than Jerusalem, which becomes the center of the kingdom of Christ during the 1,000-year reign (Isa. 2:1-5).

On the surface, everything appears to be in place for Satan and his followers to defeat God and Christ. They have enticed the world for one final and glorious battle, so they think. What they do not know is that this is a suicide mission. Satan believes that he will be victorious. How can that be? Satan has shown repeatedly to know the word of God. He has quoted and misquoted the scriptures and yet he is oblivious to the result of this final assault.

The Book of the Revelation has been in existence for thousands of years and yet Satan does not heed to the Word of God. His fate and those who follow him is sealed. Pride and vanity are his attributes, and they will be his downfall.

“…and fire came down from God out of heaven, and devoured them…”

Once again, we see that there really is not a battle, per-se. The rebellious hordes, establish themselves militarily in surrounding the saints and their beloved city. Everything is ready for the battle to commence, when suddenly; God consumes them all with fire from heaven; swift and final.

You can almost put “The End” after this event, but there is so much more to be done. What to do with Satan?

Satan Cast Into the Lake of Fire and Brimstone

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.

“And the devil that deceived them…”

Deceit is a common trait of Satan. Another name for Satan is the devil, Greek word diabolos, which means false accuser and slanderer.

“…was cast into the lake of fire and brimstone…”

This is the final judgment of Lucifer/Satan/Devil. This is literally, “Three strikes and you are out!”

· He was cast out of heaven (Re 12:9),

· An angel cast him into the bottomless pit for 1,000 years (Re 20:3)

· Finally, he is cast into the lake of fire and brimstone (Re 20:10).

Jesus was teaching His disciples about the future kingdom recorded in Matthew 25. In that passage Jesus told them that the devil and his angels are destined for punishment in everlasting fire which was made for them (Mt. 25:41).

The end of Satan is told in just fifteen words: “And the devil that deceived them was cast into the lake of fire and brimstone.” Drum roll, a clash of cymbals and the violins fade. The end has come. Pause for dramatic effect.

“…where the beast and the false prophet are…”

Revelation 19:20 says the beast and the false prophet were “cast alive into a lake of fire burning with brimstone.”

“…and shall be tormented day and night for ever and ever…”

Satan was a created being. Now he will be “tormented day and night for ever and ever.” There will be no end of the suffering of Satan. Contrary to many, Satan is not in charge in Hell and the lake of fire. He and his demons will not be tormenting the fallen - no he is brought down to the same level as all the other inhabitants of Hell. At the fall of Babylon, the third angel proclaimed:

Revelation 14:10-11 The same shall drink of the wine of the wrath of God, which is poured out without mixture into the cup of his indignation; and he shall be tormented with fire and brimstone in the presence of the holy angels, and in the presence of the Lamb: 11 And the smoke of their torment ascendeth up for ever and ever: and they have no rest day nor night, who worship the beast and his image, and whosoever receiveth the mark of his name.

Satan was cast out of heaven (Rev. 12:9), and now he is cast out of the earth!

His torment is “day and night.” This reference means without intermission. We have a distinct change between day and night. It is definable, day is different than night. However, there will not be a pause or an interlude on the torment of Satan…it will be continuous without rest or pause.

Before we feel any sympathy towards the devil, let us remember just of few of his accomplishments:

· His interference with Adam and Eve robbed them of Paradise. From that point on, man was born in sin.

· He caused David to count the warriors in his army which God told him not to (1 Chron. 21:1). The result was 70,000 men died.

· He was the accuser of Job and then conducted the afflictions of Job (Job 1:7-2:10)

· He was Jesus’ tempter (Mt. 4:3)

· He perverts the Word of God (Gen. 3:4-5; Mt. 4:4)

· He caused Judas to betray Jesus (John 13:2, 27)

· He is a murderer and liar (John 8:44)

· He instigated the death of all the children in Bethlehem from two years old and younger (Mt. 2:16)

The Great White Throne Judgment

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.

“And I saw a great white throne…”

Thirty-nine times in thirty-one verses we find the word ‘throne’ in the book of the Revelation. The Greek word thronos is defined as a “stately seat or throne,” by implication, it means power.

There are two elements in the description of the throne: great and white. Great simply means that it is large, spacious, high, and lifted up. The seat of the high priest was called a throne in 1 Samuel 1:9; 4:13; as was the seat of the governor or king.

White, is the Greek word leukosmeans light, bright, reflecting the sun light. Throughout our study in the Revelation, white has stood for purity.

· Jesus’ hair was white (Re 1:14)

· garments of believers (Re 2:17, 3:4, 5, 18)

· garments of the elders around the throne (Re 4:4)

· those who were slain for the Word (Re 6:11)

· those believers who were slain in the great tribulation (Re 7:9-13)

· the white cloud that the Son of Man sits on (Re 14:14)

· the horse that Jesus sits on (Re 19:11)

· the Great White throne (Re20:11)

John sees a great white throne. This is the only time in the Bible where “white throne” is found.

Through our travels in Europe, Linda and I have looked upon several thrones of kings and queens. As we beheld them, they of course were empty. All you can see is a seat of polished wood or marble, sitting on a dais. However, when the King or Queen occupied the throne, it became more than just polished wood. The one seated on the throne is the head of that government and empowered to judge.

This applies to this next passage of scripture concerning the “White Throne Judgment.” The Judge, sitting on the throne has the authority and will dispense divine judgment on all mankind.

As I think upon this scene, I am both excited, as I know that my faith in Jesus Christ will prevent me from having to attend court on this day, but I am saddened that so many will face that courtroom with no chance of a “not guilty” verdict.

The White Throne judgment is the final court. There will be no appeals. The Judge will dole out the sentencing with no emotion. This is a serious, sobering, and tragic scene in which John is a witness. The accused will stand before the Throne and be sentenced. This is not a court to show innocence or guilt. That has already been convened. This event is the “sentencing hearing.”

“…and him that sat on it…”

The task of the reader is to identify who is sitting on this great white throne. There are two obvious answers: God or Jesus. God has been orchestrating the judgments on the earth in the Revelation, and therefore would make perfect sense that He is sitting on the great white throne.

However, when Jesus was teaching about the last things, He describes the Son of Man coming in His glory and He will sit “upon the throne of his glory” (Mt. 25:31).

Walvoord writes:

It is proper to assume that it is God on the throne and, more specifically, Christ Himself, as in 3:21. This is according to John 5:22, “The Father judges no one, but has given all judgment to the Son.” Other passages speak of Christ judging (cf. Mt. 19:28; 25:31-32; 2 Cor. 5:10).[1]

Bible commentators have three basic thoughts. They believe 1) God the Father sitting on the great white throne, or 2) It is Christ alone or, 3) both the Father and Son participate in the judgment.

Throughout the Revelation, John describes the one that “…sat on the throne” (4:2-3, 9-10; 5:1,7; 19:4; 20:11; 21:5). Revelation 19:4 says:

Revelation 19:4 And the four and twenty elders and the four beasts fell down and worshipped God that sat on the throne, saying, Amen; Alleluia.

The portion of the Revelation, written to the church at Laodicea ends with a remarkably interesting statement: “…even as I also overcame, and am set down with my Father in his throne.”

Revelation 3:21 To him that overcometh will I grant to sit with me in my throne, even as I also overcame, and am set down with my Father in his throne.

Jesus spoke of a coming judgment of all nations, where the “Son of Man” will sit upon a throne of glory and separate the righteous from the unrighteous. (Mt. 25:31-34)

Matthew 25:31-34 When the Son of man shall come in his glory, and all the holy angels with him, then shall he sit upon the throne of his glory: 32 And before him shall be gathered all nations: and he shall separate them one from another, as a shepherd divideth his sheep from the goats: 33 And he shall set the sheep on his right hand, but the goats on the left. 34 Then shall the King say unto them on his right hand, Come, ye blessed of my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world:

The “sheep,” those that have followed Jesus’ teachings and the “goats” those that are cursed for not following His teachings.

Throughout the Bible, there has been a common thread, there is going to be a last and final judgment to all men, whether they are believers or unbelievers. Every person will one day stand before Christ and receive their rewards. The references are found both in the Old Testament and in the New Testament.

Isaiah 45:23 I have sworn by myself, the word is gone out of my mouth in righteousness, and shall not return, That unto me every knee shall bow, every tongue shall swear.

Romans 14:11 For it is written, As I live, saith the Lord, every knee shall bow to me, and every tongue shall confess to God.

Philippians 2:10 That at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of things in heaven, and things in earth, and things under the earth.

The writer of Hebrews ensures that everyone will stand in judgment.

Hebrews 9:27 And as it is appointed unto men once to die, but after this the judgment:

Note: There are many questions concerning the number of judgments taking place during the end times.

Who Sits on the Great White Throne?

Commentators line up with two judgments:

· The judgment of works with Jesus Christ sitting on the judgment throne.

· And the second is the White Throne judgment by the LORD.

However, there are other considerations when looking at the Gospel of Matthew. Jesus spoke of a judgment of “sheep and goats” or a judgment of the nations (Mt 25:31-36). Many believe that these three judgments are the same final judgment.

Jesus clearly says that God the Father and he are seated on the “throne.” Combine this with Matthew 25:31 and John 5:22, we can see that it is possible that the Father and the Son may occupy the “Great White Throne” at the same time. However, there may be a third option. Maybe it will be as it was in the beginning, when Father, Son and Holy Spirit were present for the creation, the Triune God now convenes, occupying the throne.

I tend to believe that it is Jesus alone, per the previous verses (Mt. 19:28; 25:31-32; 2 Cor. 5:10).

“…from whose face the earth and the heaven fled away…”

To all who find themselves in the presence of “He who sits on the throne,” having the “countenance as the sun shineth in his strength” (1:16) they only see Him. The glory of God causes everything on the face of the earth and heaven to vanish from their sight.

“…and there was found no place for them…”

Now, with everything out of the way, they find no place for them to run to or to hid.

I was once invited to a social gathering that I did not want to attend. It was for work, but I knew they would be serving alcohol and I was not comfortable in taking my wife. However, I was required to be there. I told my wife that we would go, make an appearance, and then slip out the back before anyone knew we were gone. Everything was going on schedule until the president of the company acknowledged me and invited us to sit at his table. I felt trapped, as there was no reply I could give that would get me out of staying and eating with him.

I think that those before the great white throne will find themselves no avenue of escape. God the Creator has issued a summons, they will attend.

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.

“And I saw the dead, small and great…”

The unbelieving dead from all the ages, all the race of man, no matter their language, kings and common, rich, and poor, young, and old, bond and free, Jew and gentile, are resurrected and brought to this event.

“…stand before God…”

Their gaze is on the omniscient, omnipotent, and omnipresent LORD of all. He is the LORD Almighty. The Creator of the heavens and earth. The Creator of man. That is whom these unbelieving dead stand before. Perhaps it will be as it was in the beginning, when Father, Son and Holy Spirit were present for the creation, the Triune God now convenes, occupying the throne.

“…and the books were opened: and another book was opened, which is the book of life…”

The multitudes standing before the great white throne, and some books are opened and readied for use. Many books are available. The “books” not described further, could be in the form of scrolls as used in the days of John. They could be bound volumes of papyrus. Do not laugh, but the creator of all things, including electromagnetic energy, could have stored a video of our lives. We just do not know. The only thing that we can deduce is that they must contain information on each person to judge him or her.

While we may be able to hide things or fool others, there are no secrets between God and man. Jesus said:

Luke 8:17 For nothing is secret, that shall not be made manifest; neither any thinghid, that shall not be known and come abroad.

Obviously, there is much speculation on what these books are and contain. Most conclude that the books contain the deeds or words of every person that rejected God’s gift of salvation.

Since we are speculating, I wonder if one of the books that will be present, is the Word of God? God gave humanity His word as a means to tell them about Himself. His rules, commitments, covenants, promises and thoughts are given to man. Everyone is afforded the opportunity to have God’s Word in his or her possession.

However, one book is highlighted: the Book of Life.

The most important book is the Book of Life. This term was first used in Revelation in the letter to the church of Sardis. In the Gospel of Luke our Lord also promised such a living record to His disciples, “… do not rejoice in this, that the spirits are subject to you; but rather rejoice because your names are written in heaven” (Luke 10:20). No further evidence is given to us regarding the means and ways of this judgment, except that the God of justice and grace is the One who decides. Everything is out of our hands in this vision. It is the vision of the singular justice and kindness of God Himself.[2]

What is the purpose of the books? Since God is omniscient, He does not need to refer to them. Therefore, the books must be there for the accused, listing every word, thought, action and deed. These are a witness or testimony against them.

We do not read where there will be any witnesses other than the “books” and the “book of life.”

We do not read that God’s “courtroom” is private so that each case will be tried between the accused and God only. It appears that it is an open courtroom. Everyone will hear the evidence presented and the judgment will be heard.

What Did You Do With My Son?

“…and the dead were judged out of those things which were written in the books, according to their works…”

The first witness against the accused are the books that contain what they had done. Divine judgment will be given to each person, based on “those things which were written in the books, according to their works.”

Note: I have spent hours studying and imagining this event. Fear of this judgment made me think about salvation. The scene fills me with fear and dread even today. A final judgment against those that rejected Jesus as their savior. I have simplified the scene in my mind. Not to reduce the importance of this courtroom experience, but I wonder why God would review the life of each person. To what purpose? It seems to me, there is only one form of evidence needed. The words of God, “What did you do with my Son?” Did you accept my free gift of love, mercy, and grace? None of the sinful or heinous acts of the individual, would matter.

Perhaps, following the question would be the reviewing of every time the gospel message was given or displayed to the person as they said “No, I will not come to salvation today.” It is conceivably that every rejection of the Gospel by the Holy Spirit will be heard.

I do not know…but this scene is heartbreaking.

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.

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. – This is a reminder of who stands before the great white throne. Every person’s resurrected body, no matter where they might have been, in the grave, or the sea, or cremated, will be resurrected.

Revelation 20:14 And death and hell were cast into the lake of fire. This is the second death.

“And death and hell were cast into the lake of fire…”

These two seemed to be coupled throughout the Revelation (Rev. 1:8; 6:8; 20:13; 20:14).

Death is a natural occurrence for man. “And as it is appointed unto men once to die, but after this the judgment:” (Heb. 9:27). We are born, we live, and we die. Death is the separation of the body and the soul. The key here is that from this judgment, death will no longer be a factor. Death is cast into the lake of fire. “The last enemy that shall be destroyed is death.” (1 Cor. 15:26).

The resurrected bodies of the dead will never be separated again. They will be cast into the lake of fire where continual agony will go on for eternity.

The word “hell” has many uses in the Hebrew and Greek. This is the Greek word, hades, which means the grave, or the abode of the dead body. Once again, since death is no longer, the abode of the dead is not needed either.

“This is the second death…”

We first learned of the “second death” in Revelation 20:6. Through this passage the term is now explained. The second death is for the unrighteous and consists of their resurrection, judgment, sentencing and imprisonment. They were born, they lived unrighteous lives, are found guilty of rejecting God’s plan of salvation, and they are sentenced to eternal punishment in the lake of fire. This is the second death.

Revelation 20:15 And whosoever was not found written in the book of life was cast into the lake of fire.

“And whosoever was not found written in the book of life…”

All the deeds, words and works written in the books, take a second place to the importance of their name being found in the book of life. What is the book of life?

Three times previously, in the Revelation, we find information concerning those, whose names were not written in the book of life (3:5; 13:8; 17:8). Its importance cannot be stated clearly enough.

Revelation 3:5 He that overcometh, the same shall be clothed in white raiment; and I will not blot out his name out of the book of life, but I will confess his name before my Father, and before his angels.

Revelation 13:8 And all that dwell upon the earth shall worship him, whose names are not written in the book of life of the Lamb slain from the foundation of the world.

Revelation 17:8 The beast that thou sawest was, and is not; and shall ascend out of the bottomless pit, and go into perdition: and they that dwell on the earth shall wonder, whose names were not written in the book of life from the foundation of the world, when they behold the beast that was, and is not, and yet is.

The only names written in this book were those who were saved by faith. The exact same group that believed in God alone for salvation produced righteous deeds. The exact group that had never believed in God alone for salvation failed to produce righteous deeds.[3]

All those brought before the great white throne judgment will find that their names are not found written in the book of life.

“…was cast into the lake of fire…”

I believe that each unsaved individual will fall on their face before God. Their works will be tried, and they will be found wanting. But the most dreadful, horrifying, and grave announcement will be, “I do not find your name written in the book of life.”

Matthew 25:41, 46 Then shall he say also unto them on the left hand, Depart from me, ye cursed, into everlasting fire, prepared for the devil and his angels: 46 And these shall go away into everlasting punishment: but the righteous into life eternal.

Conclusion

No matter who you are or what your circumstances are, you will one day meet this same Jesus and every knee will bow, and every tongue will confess that He is the LORD of Lords, and King of Kings.

Will you confess Him now, today?

[1]Walvoord, John F. Revelation (2011) Chicago, IL. Moody Press. p. 316 [2]Palmer, E. F., & Ogilvie, L. J. (1982). 1, 2 & 3 John / Revelation (Vol. 35, pp. 225–226). Nashville, TN: Thomas Nelson Inc. [3]Easley, K. H. (1998). Revelation(Vol. 12, p. 380). Nashville, TN: Broadman & Holman Publishers.

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