Then I saw a great white throne and Him who sat on it, from whose face the earth and the heaven fled away. And there was found no place for them. And I saw the dead, small and great, standing before God, and books were opened. And another book was opened, which is the Book of Life. And the dead were judged according to their works, by the things which were written in the books. (Revelation 20:11-12)

I Saw The Dead

The population of the earth is around eight billion souls. That is only the tally for one year. The world has existed for thousands of years, making the total number of people who have lived and are living on the earth innumerable. No one knows how long the world will exist. Only God knows when the end of all things will be accomplished, and until that time, with each passing hour of every day, more souls are added to the human equation. With these numbers in mind, consider the greatest gathering ever known before the throne of God, where everyone who has lived from Adam will be gathered.

In John’s revelation, he sees an image of what that day will be like. There is the great white throne where the Lord God is seated. Heaven and earth have passed away into obliteration. Only the eternal souls of humanity remain. What John saw was the dead. When God destroyed the universe, all human life came to an end. All of humanity had died or were changed when the world ended. Everyone standing before the Lord was dead but alive in the eternal spirit. There was no separation of the small and great, rich and poor, nationality, gender, or education into certain groups. Rich men stood next to the poor. Influential people in history were standing next to the unknowns of human history. The scene of judgment was without partiality. Every soul was equal.

No one has received preference over another because of their lives on earth. The only separation that took place were those found in the Book of Life and those whose names were not inscribed by the blood of the Lamb. It was a simple process. When the Book of Life was opened, it was filled with many names. These souls had been in covenant with the Lord God and found faithful to His will. They had been redeemed by the blood of the Lamb. The Book of Life was a book of eternal life. These saints would enjoy the blessings of eternal life in the presence of God.

When the Book of Life was opened, there were many whose names could not be found there. Most had never had their names written in the Book. Some had once named the name of Christ but had turned away from God’s grace. Their names had been blotted out. Seeing how many names were not in the Book of Life was sad and tragic. Jesus taught that most people would not find their names in the Book of Life. Many religious people thought their names were in the Book of Life, but they were rejected because they refused to obey the will of the Father.

The incredible mass of humanity standing before the great white throne were all judged according to what was written, or not written, in the books. The dead were judged according to their works, by the things which were written in the books. It was no surprise for those who did not have their names there. They knew they had not believed in God or done His will. The souls who grieved the most were those who had once tasted the Heavenly gift of God’s mercy but had turned back into the world. Now, it was too late. The fate was sealed.

John saw the dead in a prophetic vision of what is yet to be. The final day of judgment has not come. God’s grace continues to call men to come to Him and find salvation in the blood of Jesus. If the Lord allows the world to continue for a thousand more years, more opportunities will be given to those who have yet to have their names inscribed in the Book of Life. At judgment, the only thing that will matter to you is where your name is. Don’t kid yourself into believing there is any other way to have your name in the Book of Life than what God said in His book, the Bible. There is only one way, one truth, and one life. Where is your name?