Revelation 20: 11-15
We have seen how Jesus's rule for a thousand years on this planet has been such a healthful and prosperous time that the population of the world has increased to an uncountable number.
When Satan is released for a little while from his prison, then he convinces all the people who have never experienced any life other than this perfect paradise that they're missing something and they follow him in rebellion.
And the whole Earth explodes, and the universe around it implodes, and everything is burned up and reduced to the original tiny dot of super-heavy matter; for God to create again.
This is when the final judgment takes place, and God's perfect justice is completely satisfied.
(11) Then I saw a great white throne and Him who sat upon it, from whose presence the Earth and heaven fled away, and no place was found for them.
This Great White Throne is the final judgment bench to tie up all the loose ends and finish all the stories and complete all the mysteries.
(12) And I saw the dead, the great and the small, standing before the throne, and books were opened;
What books are these that are opened? The 66 books of the Bible? The life journals that were compiled in the Heavenly library as we lived our lives? (Just my idea, no Scripture for that!)
and another book was opened, which is the book of life;
The Book of Life is the list of the names of the chosen, the saved, the redeemed. This was written before the creation of the world. God has always known who are His and who are not, but He made us all anyway, so that everyone would have a chance to turn to Him. Those who don't will have no excuse.
and the dead were judged from the things which were written in the books, according to their deeds.
This is a reminder that God takes everything we do into consideration, whether we are His or not. Even people who refuse the salvation He offers still should pay attention to their attitudes and actions, as their forever will be determined by them. God is perfectly just, and He is also fair to attribute to everyone the results and consequences of all of our choices and decisions.
(13) And the sea gave up the dead which were in it, and death and Hades gave up the dead which were in them; and they were judged, every one of them according to their deeds.
It doesn't matter what happened to the body after death: whether it was buried, cremated, or buried at sea; every person will be raised in their body to be judged and dispatched to the proper location to spend eternity.
(14) Then death and Hades were thrown into the lake of fire. This is the second death, the lake of fire.
Death itself is our enemy, and it will be confined to this eternal place. And Hell itself, the holding place of the damned, will be cast into this inferno, also.
(15) And if anyone's name was not found written in the book of life, he was thrown into the lake of fire.
The Book of Life is the record of those who have been given eternal, spiritual life, and take part in the first resurrection. All the rest of everyone who ever lived will take part in this second resurrection, and since their names are double-checked to not be in this Book of Life, then they receive bodies that will withstand the inferno of the Lake of Fire forever. Fire does not "burn away" any kind of sin or damaged DNA or defectiveness or evil. All it does is torment.
This is a most sorry situation, that so many would choose to refuse our good God's offer of rescue from this damnation, and now they have no more choice.
O my Father, please send us out, as Your children, Your messengers, Your missionaries. Enable us to travel, or to otherwise reach out to those who are searching for You! Let us connect with all those who have no other recourse.
Father, You are not willing that any would perish, but that all would come to the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ (II Peter 3: 9). Please let every person know and understand clearly what the choice is: To be rescued, or to be condemned!
My Father, You have loved all of us so much, because You made the human race to be Your children, and You sent Your own Son to take our death, our paycheck for sin, in our place, so that we won't have to die, or suffer the second death; but receive life from You, eternal live, to live with You forever!
O Father, as our Source and our Provider, You have given us all everything we need for both this life here and eternal life with You! Open our eyes to see Your provision whenever we experience a need. You have already given us what we need, no matter what the situation is. Let us use what You have given us to help one another and to promote Your Kingdom. Don't let us squander Your bounty on ourselves, but to share and to help our neighbor before we even consider ourselves. Teach us how to love others as You have loved us.
And every eye shall see, every knee will bow, every tongue will confess that Jesus is our Christ, the Lord God Almighty, sovereign King over all Creation; to the everlasting glory of Almighty God the Father, for ever and ever. Amen.
Even so, come soon, Lord Jesus!
