Fri, 29 December, 2006: Today’s Bible readings.

Revelation 20:11-15

¹¹ Then I saw a great white throne and him who was seated on it. From his presence earth and sky fled away, and no place was found for them. ¹² And I saw the dead, great and small, standing before the throne, and books were opened. Then another book was opened, which is the book of life. And the dead were judged by what was written in the books, according to what they had done. ¹³ And the sea gave up the dead who were in it, Death and Hades gave up the dead who were in them, and they were judged, each one of them, according to what they had done. ¹⁴ Then Death and Hades were thrown into the lake of fire. This is the second death, the lake of fire. ¹⁵ And if anyone’s name was not found written in the book of life, he was thrown into the lake of fire.

We are coming to the end of the book of Revelation. We have just been through the Millennium, and now time comes to an end, as everyone stands before God in judgment.

What do we learn from this?

Everyone will appear before God to be judged. The book of our lives will be opened, and we will be judged by what is written there. Have we perfectly kept God’s law? No. No one has. If we are to be judged by our actions, we will all be condemned, because we have all sinned. Our final destination will be the lake of fire, because we have violated God’s holy law.

Where is Christ in this passage?

There is a second book at the final judgment. This is called the book of life. In that book, it is written the names of all those who have been redeemed by Jesus Christ. We have violated God’s law, but Jesus Christ has paid the price for those sins. He has given His people the righteousness they require, so that they can be accepted by God. This book of life testifies to the fact that God has justified them. God has declared them to be in right standing with Him because of the work of Jesus Christ on their behalf.

So the question is, has your name been written in the book of life? Have you trusted in Jesus Christ alone for your salvation? Has He taken the penalty of your sin and given you His righteousness? Or on the last day will you be judged by the book of your life that has recorded all your sins?