PROPHECY ABOUT JUDGMENT DAY

Have you ever given any real thought about what it will be like to stand before God on “Judgment Day?” If you are like me, I used to just not think about it too much. When I did, I thought I’d be able to somehow pull the wool over God’s eyes and sneak into Heaven by my own amazing wit and cunning. What an ego! Some people choose to refuse to believe that there is a God let alone a God who will hold them accountable. I can see that someone could find some sort of refuge in believing that once you’re dead that that is the end of everything. That if there is no God and no after-life, that a lack of any kind of existence at all would be preferable to an eternal Hell. Others will acknowledge the existence of a “creative force” (ala Star Wars) but deny that the “Force” is a person to whom we might be accountable. It has been my experience that what most people know about judgment and Hell is what others (who really don’t know any more than they do) tell them. They don’t go to the Bible and read what the Apostles, Prophets and Jesus have to say about it. What I intend to do is to point out in the Bible where you can find the information you need and let you make up your mind for yourself. Now, if you are absolutely bent on not believing in God, Jesus, judgment or Hell then you need read no further. I am not going to try to convince you or argue for the existence of God with you. Not because I can’t but that isn’t the purpose of this article and I won’t waste time and space doing so.
Now, for the rest of you who would like to know for sure what the Bible has to say on the matter of judgment and Hell, welcome. First, I’d like to make you a challenge. If you don’t know much about the Bible, I challenge you to take a moment and ask God to help you understand what you are reading. You don’t first have to become some spiritual giant to ask this of God, He will meet you where you are. If you ask Him and genuinely want to know the truth of what He is telling you, He will help you. I promise.
The most vivid description of the final “Judgment Day” is found in the Book of Revelation, Chapter 20 verses 11-15. In the unlikely event that you don’t have a Bible available to you it states; “11 Then I saw a great white throne and him who was seated on it. Earth and sky fled from his presence, and there was no place for them. 12 And I saw the dead, great and small, standing before the throne, and books were opened. Another book was opened, which is the book of life. The dead were judged according to what they had done as recorded in the books. 13 The sea gave up the dead that were in it, and death and Hades gave up the dead that were in them, and each person was judged according to what he had done. 14 Then death and Hades were thrown into the lake of fire. The lake of fire is the second death. 15 If anyone's name was not found written in the book of life, he was thrown into the lake of fire.” NIV
The Book of Revelation, written by the Apostle John, is so named because it was a Revelation by Jesus Christ to John as to what was going to happen in the future. Revelation is pure prophecy. The first thing we notice is the “Great White Throne” and him (God) who was seated upon it. Obviously this is going to be a frightful sight as the Earth and the sky flee from his presence. The next notable sight is all the dead, great and small, standing before the throne. If dead people are standing before the throne of God then there must be a life after the death of this body. But how did they get there? One of the standards we must use in examining Biblical passages is to ask, ‘does this theme appear anywhere else in the Bible?’ Yes, it does. To name one look at Daniel, Ch 12, v 2: “Multitudes who sleep in the dust of the earth will awake: some to everlasting life, others to shame and everlasting contempt.” The prophet, Daniel, is describing the same scenario.
The next interesting thing is that “The Books” and the “Book of Life” were opened. God judged everyone according to what they had done as recorded in “the books.” The “Book of Life” was also examined and anyone whose name was not written in it was thrown into the Lake of Fire (eternal damnation).
Jesus Christ made reference to this same book as recorded in Luke 10:20 when he said “However, do not rejoice that the spirits submit to you, but rejoice that your names are written in heaven.” Here, Jesus was speaking to his followers and disciples. These were people who believed he is the Savior and Ruler of the universe. Elsewhere in the Revelation 3:5 this book is referred to by Jesus; “He who overcomes will, like them, be dressed in white. I will never erase his name from the book of life, but will acknowledge his name before my Father and his angles.” Again, Jesus was speaking to his churches, to those who believed in him.
The question for each and every one of us are; “Is my name written in the book of life?” “If I don’t know, how can I know?” “If I don’t know, should I assume it is not?” and “If my name is not written in the book of life, how do I get it there?” If you are asking these questions, good for you! You are standing at the doorway to the Kingdom of God!
Let me give you a few verses of Scripture to help you find your way to getting your name written in the Book of Life. First Jesus said, as recorded in John 14:6 “I am the way, the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.” Jesus makes it pretty clear that no one makes it to heaven but must come through him. Romans 3:23 states; “for all have sinned (rebelled against God) and fall short of the glory of God”; Romans 6:23 “For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.”; Romans 19:9 “That if you confess with your mouth, ‘Jesus is Lord’ (God) and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved.”; and finally, John 1:12 “Yet to all who received him, (Jesus) to those who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God.”
How about it? What is God saying to you right now? Ask Jesus Christ in to change your life to a new direction, his direction, which leads to eternal life. Not the lake of fire.
And how is it that we can rely on the Bible to tell us the truth of these things? Well, for one thing, the Bible is the only book written in the history of mankind that is 100% accurate in its prophecies that have been fulfilled. It can be relied upon to be 100% accurate in those prophecies yet to be fulfilled as well. God doesn't want anyone to go to hell. But if they do, it is their choice. God has made a way out! Jesus Christ