The Great White Throne

2023-01-16

The Great White Throne judgment is distinct from the judgment at the Judgment Seat of Christ. The Great White Throne judgment takes place in Revelation 20:11-15, after both the millennial reign of Christ and the battle of Gog and Magog. The “bema” of Christ judgment takes place before those events.

The only passage I know that refers to this judgment for certain is the Revelation passage. The old heaven and earth have fled away, and the dead remained. Those who did not take part in the first bema judgment (i.e., the saved from the beginning all the way to the rapture) stand before this throne. Numerous books are opened, including the book of life. These books record the deeds of every person: “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” (Revelation 20:12). Death and hell, where the dead were waiting until this day, were cast into the lake of fire. This is the “second death”: “And death and hell were cast into the lake of fire. This is the second death” (Revelation 20:14).

The key differentiator is whether someone is in the book of life. If one is not found in there, they are judged on what they have done in the other books.

The last verse of the section tells us, “And whosoever was not found written in the book of life was cast into the lake of fire” (Revelation 20:15). Does this imply that there are people at this judgment that do not go into the lake of fire? There are people who survive after the rapture, who are not a part of the first resurrection. People of Israel in Revelation 11:13 are an example. We see people still die during the millennial reign. “There shall be no more thence an infant of days, nor an old man that hath not filled his days: for the child shall die an hundred years old; but the sinner being an hundred years old shall be accursed” (Isaiah 65:20). There must be a resurrection for them somewhere; this seems to be that time. Even if it is called the resurrection of the unjust (Acts 24:15), the overwhelming majority of people here would be unjust; it would not be misnamed. It would contain the unsaved from creation to the new heavens and earth.

How else would there be those who rebel against the Lord in the Battle of Gog and Magog? People would still need to be saved, and there is no other resurrection listed other than these: “But every man in his own order: Christ the firstfruits; afterward they that are Christ’s at his coming. Then cometh the end, when he shall have delivered up the kingdom to God, even the Father; when he shall have put down all rule and all authority and power. For he must reign, till he hath put all enemies under his feet” (1 Corinthians 15:23-25).

The judgment at Matthew 25:31-46 may be a reference to this judgment. Christ is on His throne rather than a judgment seat; the same word for throne is used. There are both righteous and wicked people there entering eternity. However, when Christ is in His kingdom in this passage, this sounds like the millennial reign. I am not for certain. There will be a lot of things we will not know for sure until we are there.