Revelation 20

Revelation 20:1-3

Chapter 47 Christ’s dominion over the prince of darkness ‘And he laid hold on the dragon, that old serpent, which is the Devil, and Satan, and bound him a thousand years’ Revelation 20:1-3 The book of Revelation gives us seven visions of the Person and work of Christ in this gospel age. In these seven visions the Lord revealed to John what he had done, is doing, and shall hereafter do for his church, in his church, and with his church. The whole purpose of the Book is to assure God’s children in this world of their ultimate conquest over the world, the flesh, and the devil. This blessed book is ‘The Revelation of Jesus Christ.’ By revealing to us who he is and what he does, our Lord calls for us to ever look unto him with confident faith, and assures us that we are ‘More than conquerors through him that loved us.’ The seven visions which John saw and recorded by Divine Inspiration are set before us in consecutive order in the twenty-two chapters of this book. He saw…

1. Christ in the midst of his churches, the seven golden candlesticks, in this world (chpts. 1-3).
2. Christ opening and fulfilling the seven sealed book of God’s sovereign, eternal purpose (chpts. 4-7). 3.Christ answering the prayers of his people, protecting them from their enemies, and vindicating them by executing the seven trumpets of judgment in his providential rule of the universe (chpts. 8-11).
3. Christ and his church persecuted by satan, world government, and false religion (chpts. 12-14).
4. Christ sending his angels to pour out the seven vials of his wrath upon the earth (chpts. 15-16).
5. Christ’s conquest over Babylon, the beast, and the false prophet (chpts. 17-19).
6. Christ’s dominion over and destruction of satan and the glory of the New Jerusalem (chpts. 20-22). These seven visions each cover the whole gospel age from the first to the second coming of Christ. They do not represent different ages, dispensations, or prophetic events. They all tell the same story. They all tell us what our Lord has done, is doing, and shall do for the salvation of his people. The use of the word ‘seven’ is striking. There are ‘seven golden candlesticks,’ ‘seven stars,’ ‘seven seals,’ ‘seven trumpets,’ ‘seven angels,’ ‘seven vials.’ Seven is the number of perfection, completion, and satisfaction.

And in each of these seven visions, the Holy Spirit assures us of the perfect rule of Christ as the Monarch of the universe for the complete victory and eternal salvation of his church. In Revelation 20, the final vision begins. Chapter 19 brought us to the very end of world history, to the final day of judgment. In chapter 20 we return to the beginning of the gospel age once again. In this vision we see once more the accomplishments of Christ’s first advent; and we are carried through to the final conquests of his second advent. Revelation 20:1-3 reveals the binding of satan which was accomplished by the work of Christ in his first advent.

The sequence of events is clear:

1. Our Lord’s first advent is followed by a long period of time, represented by a ’thousand years,’ in which satan is bound.
2. At the close of this gospel age satan is loosed for ‘a little season.’
3. And the loosing of satan is followed by Christ’s glorious second advent to judge the world and make all things new. It should be clear to anyone who reads Revelation 20 that the language is figurative, as it is in all the pictures we have seen. ‘The thousand years’ is no more a literal period of time than ’the great chain’ is a literal chain. As ’the chain’ represents restraining power, ’the thousand years’ represents a long period of time - that whole span of time between Christ’s first and second coming. It is also obvious that ’the thousand years’ precede (they do not follow) the second coming of Christ. In other words, we are now living in this ’thousand year’ period which began with the incarnation of Christ. This ’thousand years’ is this present gospel age. It does not begin at Christ’s second coming.

It ends at his second coming (See Revelation 20:11.). Our Lord Jesus Christ has so thoroughly bound the prince of darkness that he has total dominion over him (Read Revelation 20:1-3.). We see the purpose of our Lord’s incarnation (Revelation 20:1)This great and mighty Angel, which John saw come down from heaven, is the Lord Jesus Christ himself, the Angel of the covenant, the Angel of God’s presence (Revelation 10:1-7; Revelation 18:1). He alone has the keys of death and hell (Revelation 1:18). No creature could ever bind the devil, or even hinder his influence. He was the greatest, most powerful creature of the Almighty. None but Christ, the Creator, could bind him. We know that the primary purpose of our Lord’s incarnation was the redemption and salvation of God’s elect by the merits of his blood and the power of his grace (Matthew 1:21; 1 Timothy 1:15).

But in order to accomplish our salvation satan had to be bound. And here we see Christ coming with the key of the bottomless pit and a great chain in his hand. He is coming to shackle a treasonous rebel and lock him away! The Scriptures plainly tell us that one purpose of our Lord’s incarnation and birth was to make war with, conquer, and bind the prince of darkness (Genesis 3:15; 1 John 3:8; Revelation 12:5-11). The character of our great enemy is revealed in four names (Revelation 20:2)Satan is too wise, too crafty, too strong, and too cunning for any of us to resist him, overcome him, or avoid his blinding delusions. And this great rebel against God is full of enmity, anger, wrath, and malice toward the souls of men. He knows that by the merits of Christ and in union with Christ, we shall have the place he desired. We shall sit with Christ upon the very throne of God and judge the world (Revelation 3:21; 1 Corinthians 6:2). Satan’s hatred for God’s elect is fueled by envy and jealousy. Let us ever beware of this great enemy. He is called ‘The Dragon.’ He is a beast of ferocious power in the earth. He is the instigator of all rebellion and opposition to God, holding power over the minds of men, taking them captive at his will. The governors, kings, and rulers of the earth are his willing subjects, by whom he breathes out the fires of persecution upon God’s saints. Since the days of Nimrod, he has led the confederated kings of the earth against the Lord and his Christ. And he will continue to do so, as God permits, until the time of Armageddon. He is called ‘The Old Serpent’ He is old, very old. He has been around since the beginning of history. And he is the serpent. He is best represented by the slithering, crooked, deceiving serpent, with his subtle, hidden poison and deadly malignity. It was the serpent who deceived our first parents and seduced them into sin and death. It is the serpent who today deceives the souls of men and women. with presumptuous pride, false doctrine, perverted wisdom, and unbelief. And it is the serpent who corrupts, divides, and seeks to destroy the church of God He is called ‘The Devil’ The word ‘devil’ means ‘slanderer, liar.’ This has been his character throughout history. ‘He was a murderer from the beginning, and abode not in the truth; when he speaketh a lie, he speaketh his own; for he is a liar, and the father of it’ (John 8:44). He slanders God to man (Genesis 3:1-5). ‘Yea, hath God said.’ And he slanders man to God (Job 1:9-11). The devil twists and perverts all: God’s Word, his providence, his gospel, and his grace! He is called ‘Satan’ The word ‘satan’ means ‘accuser.’ He is one who waits to entrap, to oppose, to disable, to bring disaster, and to destroy. He is a ready, vicious, unrelenting adversary. He opposed God in the beginning. He opposed Christ upon the earth. And he opposes God’s elect from the cradle to the grave. Child of God, this is the character of your soul’s great enemy. He is a powerful dragon, a subtle serpent, a deceiving slanderer, and a bitter, relentless adversary. But our Savior is mightier than our adversary! Satan is too great for us. But he is not too great for our Christ. The binding of satan by Christ is described in (Revelation 20:2-3)John saw the Lord Jesus come down from heaven with a key to lock the bottomless pit and a chain to bind the devil (Revelation 9:1; Revelation 9:11; Revelation 11:7). This bottomless pit has a lid upon it that can be locked and sealed. Remember, this is only a picture, a figurative symbol, nothing more. But it tells us of the work of Christ. He laid hold upon satan, overpowered him, rendered him helpless, and bound him securely with the mighty chain of his sovereign power. He cast him into the bottomless pit, locked the lid, and sealed it for a thousand years, more literally, ‘for the thousands of years.’ What does this mean? how did this binding of satan take place?

You will remember that when our Lord Jesus began his public ministry, the Pharisees accused him of casting out demons by the power of satan. His answer was, ‘How can one enter into a strong man’s house, and spoil his goods, except he first bind the strong man? And then he will spoil his house’ (Matthew 12:29). That word, ‘bind’ is exactly the same in Matthew 12:29 and in Revelation 20. And it is talking about the same thing. The binding of satan began when our Lord triumphed over him in the wilderness of temptation (Matthew 4:1-11; Luke 4:1-13) When satan met Christ Jesus in the wilderness, he was foiled by the Word of God. As a result of this triumph, our Lord, having bound the strong man, began to spoil his goods, casting out demons. ‘The power and influence of satan over the deluded masses was beginning to be curtailed’ (William Hendriksen). In the garden of Gethsemane our Lord Jesus again broke the power of satan by faith and prayer (Matthew 26:36-46) In that dark, cold night, satan came to oppose our dear Savior, taunting him with the hideous load of sin that must be put upon him, tormenting him with the anticipation of being made sin, being made to suffer the wrath of God, and being forsaken by the Father. He was trying to keep the Lord from the cross. And our Savior’s tender, holy, human soul was crushed with sorrow. But he rose in triumph after he prayed (Hebrews 5:7-9). In confident faith, he rose up to lay down his life for his sheep (Hebrews 12:1-2). Then, our great Savior, crushed the serpent’s head, bound him as a wild beast, and cast him into the bottomless pit, by his glorious, triumphant death upon the cross (John 12:28-32) By his death upon the cursed tree, our Lord broke the arms of satan’s usurped dominion over the nations of the world, and began to draw all men unto himself, Gentiles as well as Jews. The light was taken from the Jews who despised it, and sent to the Gentiles who never had it, that God’s elect in every nation might see the light of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ and be saved. When our Savior ascended up to heaven and was exalted as King over all things, he brought satan into captivity under his sovereign rule (Psalms 68:18-19; Colossians 2:13-15; Revelation 12:5-11) The Son of God has always ruled satan, as he has ruled all things, by virtue of his total sovereignty as God. But now, he has, as the God-man, our Mediator, taken away satan’s power to deceive the world so that he might gather his elect out of every nation in the world. Every text of Scripture which speaks of the binding and captivity of satan refers to and is associated with our Lord’s first advent, his life, his death, and his exaltation. This is a glorious, comforting gospel truth which few people seem to apprehend. We are not awaiting the day when satan shall be bound and Christ shall be King. Jesus Christ is the sovereign King over al things today! And satan is bound already! Our great adversary is under the total rule and control of our dear Savior He cannot harm us! His temptations are under the rule of Christ! His assaults are under the rule of Christ! Even his roars are under the rule of Christ! This binding of satan is not his destruction. That comes later, at the day of judgment. This binding of satan is specifically the destruction of his power, or the restraint of his power to deceive the nations Satan’s influence in the world is not destroyed, but curtailed, so that he is unable to prevent the spread of the gospel, the salvation of God’s elect and the progress of Christ’s kingdom in the nations of the world. Satan cannot prevent, or withstand, the increase and completion of Christ’s church in this world (Matthew 16:18). Satan is also bound today by the power of Christ, through the preaching of the gospel (Luke 10:16-20) As we preach the gospel of the grace of God, when it is effectually applied to the hearts of men and women by the Holy Spirit, satan is bound and his house is spoiled! NOTE: I do not say, by any means, that satan is bound with reference to all men. But, in so far as God’s elect are concerned, satan is bound everywhere. He cannot stop the progress of the gospel until the thousand years are finished, until the church of Christ is complete, and all God’s elect are saved. But then he must be loosed for ‘a little season.’ There will be a little season of great deception at the close of this present gospel age (Revelation 20:3) John tells us that satan ‘must be loosed a little season.’ The Lord Jesus will once again allow satan freedom to deceive the nations of the world, because they would not believe the gospel, nor receive the love of the truth (2 Thessalonians 2:1-12). In that little season, there will be a famine of the Word of God (Amos 8:11-13). In that little season, the world will be zealously religious, but utterly ignorant of the true and living God, deceived with false religion (2 Thessalonians 2:1-12; Revelation 16:12-14). But God’s elect shall not be deceived (2 Thessalonians 2:13-14). His people are safe. They shall not be moved away from the hope of the gospel (1 John 2:20-29).

Child of God, rejoice! Satan is bound for you! He cannot harm you. He cannot accuse you before God. He cannot bring you into condemnation. He cannot prevent the success of Christ and his kingdom!

Soon, God will bruise satan under your feet (Romans 16:20; Revelation 12:11-12).

Revelation 20:4-6

Chapter 48 Living and reigning with Christ ‘Blessed and holy is he that hath part in the first resurrection: on such the second death hath no power, but they shall be priests of God and of Christ, and shall reign with him a thousand years’ Revelation 20:4-6 What happens to a believer when he dies? Where does he go? What is his condition? What does he do? How many times we have asked ourselves these questions. One of our loved ones is taken from us, a man or a woman who loves Christ; or a child, who is loved, chosen, and redeemed by Christ, is taken out of this world.

We go to the funeral home, pay our last respects, hold them in precious, honorable memory, and weep for the aching void in our hearts. Finally, we take them to the cemetery, bury their bodies in the earth, and say good-bye. We have laid the precious body of a dear friend, a loving companion, an aged parent, or a beloved child in the ground. Then, we go home. All the friends are gone. The rest of the family has gone home.

And we sit alone. In the middle of the night, in the still hours of the early morning, as we wipe away the tears, these questions arise in our hearts. Where has my beloved one gone? What is his condition now? What is she doing? Do they yet see us?

Do they still hear us? Like Martha, we know that they shall rise in the resurrection at the last day (John 11:24). And we comfort ourselves with the hope of the resurrection. But what about the time between the death and the resurrection of the body? Our Lord has not left us in the dark. He has supplied us with answers to these questions in Revelation 20:4-6. We have seen that ’the thousand years’ in Revelation 20 refers to the whole gospel age in which we live. They represent not a literal number of years, but the whole span of time between Christ’s first advent and his second advent. These thousand years have a glorious meaning for God’s people on the earth. During this time satan is bound, the gospel is preached, God’s elect are gathered from the four corners of the earth.

The body of Christ, the church, is being completed. The kingdom of God is going on from victory to victory. But the glories of heaven far transcend those of God’s saints upon the earth during this period. Revelation 20:1-3 describes the advance of the church in the world during the gospel age. But Revelation 20:4-6 describe the condition of the victorious saints in heaven today. In order to grasp the meaning of these verses (Revelation 20:4-6), we must go back in our minds to the first century, and try to see these things as John and those early believers saw them. Roman persecutions are raging against the young church. Martyrs, one after the other, are beheaded. Paul and James have already been slain. Why? Simply because they refused to say, ‘Caesar is Lord,’ and refused to drop incense upon the altar of a pagan priest.

They were not slain for worshipping Christ, but for refusing to participate in or give credibility to any worship except the worship of Christ. Because of their allegiance to Christ alone, and the gospel of God’s free and sovereign grace in him, multitudes of believers were burned at the stake and thrown to wild beasts in the Roman amphitheaters. But our Lord was not unmindful of his persecuted saints. He sustained them for their trials and gave them grace and strength to remain faithful to the end. It was for the comfort and strength of these afflicted saints that our Lord gave us this vision of ’the souls of them that were beheaded for the witness of Jesus, and for the Word of God, and which had not worshipped the beast, neither his image, neither had received his mark upon their foreheads, or in their hands.’ In this vision our Lord describes the slain martyrs, together with all the departed saints who had faithfully confessed Christ upon the earth, as kings reigning with Christ in heaven (Revelation 1:6; Revelation 5:10). It is as though the Lord is saying, ‘In the world you shall have tribulation; but, in that better land above, all the saints live and reign with Christ.’ What comfort!

Our departed friends, loved ones, and companions in the grace of God are living and reigning with Christ right now. ‘Truly, the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory which is revealed to the souls of believers reigning with their exalted Lord in heaven!’ (William Hendriksen). Who did John see Those who die without Christ, perish without Christ, and enter the eternal torments of the damned in hell. If you do not know, trust, love, and worship the Lord Jesus Christ in this world, when you die you will be in hell. If you die without Christ, you will forever suffer the just wrath of God. If you refuse to trust Christ, God will refuse to be merciful to you. Not all people go to heaven when they die. But there are some in this world who do enter into eternal life when their bodies die. Who are they? They are men and women who have given their lives for Christ Our text speaks specifically of these martyrs who were beheaded for Christ. But they represent all who die in faith. In fact the very word for ‘witness’ (Acts 1:8), which all believers are, is ‘martyr.’ A martyr is one who sacrifices his life for a noble cause. He lays down his life for the cause that is more precious to him than life itself. That is exactly what every believer is, one who lays down his life for Christ and gives his life to Christ. Faith in Christ is nothing less than the surrender of one’s life to the Lord Jesus Christ (Matthew 10:39; Matthew 16:25; Mark 8:34; Luke 9:23-26; Luke 17:32-33; John 12:25-26). These people had given their lives to Christ. And they had given their lives for Christ. They were men and women who had been beheaded What was there about these people which so enraged their enemies and brought such severe persecution upon them? Were they rebels, traitors, murderers? What had they done? How were their lives characterized? They boldly confessed Christ and the gospel of his grace in the face of his enemies-‘For the witness of Jesus.’ They so confessed Christ as to make all men see that any religion opposed to Christ and the gospel doctrine of salvation by grace alone, through faith alone, in Christ alone is false religion, damning to the souls of all who believe it (See Acts 4:8-12.). These saints were martyred because they rejected and refused to participate in, support, or approve of any doctrine or worship which is contrary to the Word of God.

They believed the doctrine of the Word, worshipped the Christ of the Word, practiced the ordinances of the Word, and lived by the rule of the Word. They might have saved their lives but for one thing - These servants of Christ refused to give any credibility to any false religion in any form. They would not worship the beast! Cost what it may, they could not, in good conscience, worship any false god, under any image, by any name, or embrace as their brethren those who did. These are the people John saw. They are martyrs, men and women who had given their lives to Christ.

And many of them were required to give their lives for Christ. Where were these saints seen They were no longer in the earth. Their bodies had been buried, or burned, or eaten by wild beasts. Yet, John saw them alive! Where? They are all sitting upon thrones. What does that mean?

For one thing, it means that they are in heaven! Throughout the Book of Revelation, the throne of Christ and his people is in heaven (Revelation 1:4; Revelation 3:21; Revelation 4:2-6; Revelation 4:9-10; Revelation 5:6-7; Revelation 5:11; Revelation 5:13; Revelation 6:16; Revelation 7:9-11; Revelation 7:15; Revelation 7:17; Revelation 8:3; Revelation 12:5; Revelation 14:3; Revelation 14:5; Revelation 16:17; Revelation 19:4-5; Revelation 20:4; Revelation 20:11; Revelation 21:5; Revelation 22:1; Revelation 22:3). ‘Comfort one another with these words.’ Those who sleep in Jesus are in heaven today, sitting with him upon his throne! For another thing, it means that they are actively engaged with Christ in the rule of the world. ‘They lived and reigned with Christ a thousand years.’ I do not know what all that means. But I do know this: The saints of God in heaven are already victorious, out of the reach of harm. And I know that they are still very interested in God’s saints upon the earth. Without us, they are not complete (Hebrews 11:40; Hebrews 12:1).

And it means that they are perfectly happy, content, and satisfied. The saints in heaven have attained that which they had long desired and sought. They are with the Lord Jesus Christ (Philippians 3:8-14). For the believer, death is a great honor, a great privilege, and a great reward, not a thing to be dreaded and feared, but anxiously anticipated. It will be a welcome relief to lay aside this cumbersome body of flesh! What are the Saints of God Doing in Heaven Many have the idea that God’s saints are floating around on clouds, strumming harps, and singing, with nothing to do. According to this vision they are very busily engaged in the most important affairs of the universe. They are judging the world with Christ. The ransomed souls in heaven not only praise Christ for his righteous judgments, they actually participate in them. These saints in glory are constantly pictured as taking part in all that Christ does. They sit with him in His Throne (Revelation 3:21). They stand with him on Mount Zion (Revelation 14:1). They worship at his throne (Revelation 5:8-10). They sing before his throne (Revelation 14:3; Revelation 15:3). They see his face (Revelation 22:4). They are living with Christ ‘They lived and reigned with Christ a thousand years’ (See Revelation 7:9-17.). The saints in heaven respond in a perfect manner to their perfect environment. That is living! They are sharing the royal glory of Christ Not only do they behold his glory, they share his glory as the divine Mediator, our covenant Head (John 17:22-24)! All their prayers are answered. All their desires are constantly fulfilled. All their troubles are over (sin, unbelief, temptation). How are the saints in Heaven described Sometimes the best way to see something is by contrast. So in this vision the bliss and glory of the saints in heaven is contrasted with the condition of the lost. ‘But the rest of the dead lived not again until the thousand years were finished.’ Does that mean that those who die in unbelief simply cease to exist when they die; or that their souls sleep with their bodies in the earth? Certainly not! (Remember the rich man in Luke 16). John simply means for us to understand that those who die without Christ cease to live. They exist in hell. But they do not live.

Their existence is eternal death. In hell they await their final judgment, when both body and soul shall forever suffer the infinite wrath of God! But the saints in heaven live! After the resurrection of the body their bliss shall be increased. But even now, they live. They have eternal life!‘This is the first resurrection!’ The first resurrection is a spiritual resurrection.

It is the resurrection of sinners from spiritual death to spiritual life in Christ (John 5:25). This first resurrection begins in the new birth. It is completed in the translation of the soul from this body of sin and this sin cursed earth to God’s holy heaven. It will be followed by the resurrection of the body to immortal glory at Christ’s second coming. The Word of God teaches us three things about the resurrection of God’s elect: 1. We have been raised representatively in Christ (Ephesians 2:5). 2.

We have been raised spiritually by the power of God the Holy Spirit (John 5:25; Ephesians 2:1-3). 3. We shall be raised bodily when our Lord comes again (1 Thessalonians 4:17). In this vision we also see the blessedness of all who are born of God (Revelation 20:6)Here John gives us a word of comfort and assurance regarding ourselves, even while we live in this world. If we are born of God, if we have part in the first resurrection…. We are blessed (Ephesians 1:3). We are holy (saints), made holy by the righteousness of Christ imputed to us in justification and imparted to us in regeneration…Over us the second death, the everlasting wrath of God, has no power (Romans 8:1; Romans 8:33-34). Soon, we shall be priests with God, serving him in the most holy place. We too shall reign with Christ for a thousand years. That is to say, we too shall enter into heaven’s glory and bliss when we leave this world. What a blessed hope this is! (Read 2 Corinthians 4:17 to 2 Corinthians 5:9).

Revelation 20:6

Chapter 49 Christ our resurrection ‘Blessed and holy is he that hath part in the first resurrection: on such the second death hath no power’ Revelation 20:6 Believers live in hope of the resurrection. With Paul, every believer might declare, ‘If in this life only we have hope in Christ, we are of al men most miserable’ (1 Corinthians 15:19). In making that statement the Apostle does not mean that: (1.) The believer’s life in this world is a sad, morbid existence; or (2.) It is really more delightful and pleasurable to live in this world without faith in Christ; or (3.) Were it not for the hope of eternal glory the saints of God would prefer not to live as they do in obedience and submission to their heavenly Father. We do not serve our God for gain! Paul simply means that if there were no such thing as eternal life in Christ, no eternal bliss of life with Christ in glory, and no resurrection of life at the last day, then believers would be the most miserably frustrated people in the world. We would never have that which we most earnestly desire.

We would never enjoy that for which we are most ambitious. We would never see the end of our hope.

We would never embrace Christ, or be embraced by Christ. We would never see our Redeemer. A more distressing thought cannot be imagined. Nothing could be more cruel and miserable than to live in hope of seeing Christ, being like Christ, and spending eternity with Christ, only to die like a dog! ‘If in this life only we have hope in Christ, we are of all men most miserable.’ What a horrible thought! What a tormenting supposition! But it is not so! We live in hope of the resurrection (Job 19:25-27). The believer is calm in sickness, peaceful in sorrow, at ease in trial and affliction, confident in bereavement, and serene in death because he lives in hope of the resurrection.

This is not some foolish philosophy. It is not a mere religious tranquilizer by which he is enabled to cope with the trials of life. This is the clear, calm, confident assurance of the believer’s heart. It is the necessary, inevitable result of faith in Christ, who declares, ‘I am the resurrection and the life, he that believeth on me, though he were dead, yet shall he live: and whosoever liveth and believeth in me shall never die’ ‘(John 11:25-26). The hope of the resurrection is much more than belief in a point of orthodox doctrine. It is a matter of faith and hope in a Person, the Lord Jesus Christ. Christ is himself our Resurrection. He is the Resurrection and the Life of all who trust him. Though believers do die physically, we shall never really die. The death of the body is, for the believer but an elevation in life. And even these bodies shall be resurrected with Christ at the last day (John 5:28; Philippians 3:20-21).‘Blessed and holy is he that hath part in the first resurrection: on such the second death hath no power.’ As we saw in our previous study, this hope of the resurrection is based upon three things: The representative resurrection of God’s elect with Christ, the spiritual resurrection of every believer in Christ, and the revelation of God concerning the resurrection. The representative resurrection of God’s elect with Christ We live in hope of the resurrection, because we know that God’s elect have been resurrected with Christ representatively. ‘God who is rich in mercy, for his great love wherewith he loved us, even when we were dead in sins, hath quickened us together with Christ, (by grace ye are saved/) and hath raised us up together, and made us sit together in heavenly places in Christ Jesus’ (Ephesians 2:4-6). The new birth, our spiritual resurrection, is the result of our having been resurrected with Christ representatively, even as our ultimate glorification will be the result of our having already been glorified in Christ our Representative (Romans 8:30). When the Lord Jesus Christ arose from the grave he arose, not as a private individual, but as a public representative, as the Representative of God’s elect. All that Christ, the God-man, has done and experienced, all of God’s elect have done and experienced in him, by virtue of our representative union with him. His obedience to the law of God was our obedience (Romans 5:12; Romans 5:18-21). His death as a penal sacrifice for sin was our death (Romans 6:6-7; Romans 6:9-11; Romans 7:4). His resurrection was our resurrection. In all things Christ is our Representative. The resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead is an indisputable fact of revelation and history upon which we rest our souls If any could disprove the resurrection of Christ, he would disprove the gospel. ‘If Christ be not raised, your faith is vain; ye are yet in your sins’ (1 Corinthians 15:17). But no one can ever disprove the resurrection of Christ. It is one of the most well-attested facts in history (1 Corinthians 15:1-8). The bodily, physical resurrection of the Lord Jesus Christ necessitates the resurrection of all who are in Christ That which has been done for us representatively must be experienced by us personally. Otherwise, the representative work of Christ would be meaningless. All believers are members of Christ’s mystical body, the church (1 Corinthians 12:12; 1 Corinthians 12:17). If one member of the body were lost, the whole body would be maimed. If one member were lost, the head would not be complete (Ephesians 1:22-23). Our bodies of flesh must be fashioned like unto his glorious body (Philippians 3:21). Christ was raised as the firstfruits of them that sleep (1 Corinthians 15:20). If he is the firstfruits, the full harvest must follow. All those saints whose bodies sleep in the earth shall be raised from death to life; even as Christ was raised from death to life. Christ is the second Adam. As we have born the image of our first covenant head, Adam, we must also bear the image of the second (1 Corinthians 15:21-23; 1 Corinthians 15:47-49). Otherwise, his headship would be meaningless. Our Lord Jesus Christ has obtained the victory over all that could hinder the glorious resurrection of his people. He put away our sins by the sacrifice of himself. He took satan into captivity by his death upon the cross. He delivered us from the curse of the law by being made a curse for us. He spoiled death, hell, and the grave by his triumph over them. By all of this he has delivered his people from the fear of death (Colossians 2:13-15; Hebrews 2:14-15). We are also assured of the resurrection because the covenant engagements of Christ as the Surety of God’s elect require their resurrection (John 6:37-40). In that great and glorious resurrection day, our great Savior will present all the host of his redeemed ones holy, unblameable, and unreproveable to God his Father (Ephesians 5:27), saying ‘Behold, I and the children which God hath given me’ (Hebrews 2:13). Then ‘There shall be one fold and one shepherd’ (John 10:16). The spiritual resurrection of every believer in Christ We live in hope of the resurrection, because we have experienced the resurrection of Christ in regeneration. The new birth is nothing less than a resurrection from the dead. It is a spiritual resurrection. This is the resurrection of which John speaks in Revelation 20:6. ‘Blessed and holy is he that hath part in the first resurrection: on such the second death hath no power.’ Like all other people, God’s elect are born in spiritual death and deserving of eternal death. In regeneration, God the Holy Spirit, by invincible, irresistible grace gives them life in Christ. He raises them from death to life.

Never in the Scriptures is the new birth attributed to the freewill of man, or even to his faith. It is the work of God the Holy Spirit. Only the omnipotent God can give life to dead sinners (John 3:3-8). The new birth is always spoken of in the Scriptures as a resurrection (John 5:25; John 11:25-26; Ephesians 2:1-4). It is not a decision, but a resurrection. It is not a reformation, but a regeneration.

It is not a new start in life, but an entirely new life! The Word of God gives numerous illustrations of the new birth, this spiritual resurrection, by the power of God. Ezekiel’s description of the deserted infant, cast off, polluted in its blood, naked in its loathsomeness, and dead, but raised to life by the word of God’s power in the time of love, is a vivid picture of the new birth (Ezekiel 16:1-8). The prophet’s vision of dry bones, caused to live by the preaching of God’s Word and the power of God’s Spirit (Ezekiel 37:1-14), is certainly intended by God to be an illustration of our regeneration by the power if the Holy Spirit through the preaching of the gospel. But there is not a clearer, more instructive picture of the believer’s spiritual resurrection in Christ than the story of the resurrection of Lazarus in John 11. Five things are revealed about Lazarus and his resurrection which are reflected in the spiritual resurrection of every believer.

1. His condition Lazarus was dead (John 11:14); and so were we when the Lord God came to us with his saving grace. God could have prevented Lazarus’ death and could have prevented our death in Adam; but he allowed it that he might glorify himself in delivering us from death to life by the power of his grace (John 11:4; Ephesians 2:7).
2. His calling The Lord Jesus ‘cried with a loud voice, Lazarus, come forth. And he that was dead came forth’ (John 11:43-44). Someone said, ‘There was such power in the Savior’s voice that when he cried, Come forth,’ had he not specified, Lazarus, come forth,’ the whole cemetery would have been emptied!’ Our Lord’s call to Lazarus was a personal, particular, and powerful call. He called Lazarus. He called Lazarus alone. And Lazarus came forth.

He was raised from the dead by the effectual power of the Savior’s voice. There is a general call in the gospel that goes out to all men indiscriminately whenever the gospel is preached; and all who hear are responsible to obey. But dead sinners cannot and will not ‘come forth,’ they will never live before God, until God the Holy Spirit calls them by the effectual, irresistible, life-giving call of his sovereign power. At God’s appointed time, in ’the time of love,’ he will call every chosen, redeemed sinner. When that time comes, when he calls, the dead shall live. ‘It is the Spirit that quickeneth; the flesh profitteth nothing’ (John 6:63). 3. His conversion ‘He that was dead came forth, bound hand and foot with graveclothes: and his face was bound about with a napkin. Jesus saith unto them, Loose him, and let him go’ (John 11:44). As the graveclothes that bound Lazarus had to be taken away, so conversion always follows calling. When sinners come to Christ and are taught of him the graveclothes of ignorance, superstition, tradition, religion, and fear fall away. 4. His communion When the Lord Jesus was in Bethany, ‘Lazarus was one of them that sat at the table with him’ (John 12:2). Saved sinners, being raised from death to life in Christ by the power and grace of God, live in communion with Christ. Their communion is sometimes interrupted by their sin, or by the Savior hiding his face from them for a season in loving chastisement (Son 5:2-8; Isaiah 54:7-10); but he will not forsake his own, neither will he let them forsake him (Jeremiah 32:38-40). In the tenor of their lives, believers walk with Christ. They live in the Spirit (Romans 8:9; Romans 8:14), in blessed communion with the Son of God. 5. His conflict Because of Lazarus many others believed on the Lord Jesus Christ. Therefore, the Jews sought to kill him (John 12:10-11). And anyone in this world who lives with Christ and serves him will be the object of the world’s scorn and persecution. ‘In the world ye shall have tribulation’ (John 16:33). ‘Yea, all that will live godly in Christ Jesus shall suffer persecution’ (2 Timothy 3:12). The revelation of God concerning the resurrection of our bodies There shall be a resurrection of life at the second coming of Christ (1 Corinthians 15:35-44; 1 Corinthians 15:51-58; 1 Thessalonians 4:13-18). The Word of God does not teach a secret rapture of the church, but a glorious resurrection of the just. The fact is, God’s elect never really die. Our Lord said, ‘whosoever liveth and believeth on me shall never die’ (John 11:26). For the believer, the death of the body is only a temporary thing. When Christ comes again our bodies shall be raised in immortality, made like unto his glorious body (Philippians 3:21). Immediately following the resurrection of the just, there shall be a resurrection of the damned (John 5:28-29). When Christ comes: the dead in Christ shall be raised; then the saints who are living on earth at the time shall be translated (glorified); and then the wicked shall be raised to judgment. Believers shall be raised by virtue of their union with Christ in order to be judged (declared justly righteous) and rewarded with all the fullness of everlasting glory. The wicked, the unbelieving, shall be raised by the power of Christ in order to be judged (declared justly condemned) and have the sentence of God’s wrath executed upon them. The righteous shall be raised in love to a great wedding feast. The wicked shall be raised in wrath, to everlasting condemnation. Soon, you and I will stand before the living God in judgment. ‘Prepare to meet thy God!’

Revelation 20:7-10

Chapter 50 Christ turns satan loose for a ’little season’ ‘And when the thousand years are expired, Satan shall be loosed out of his prison’ Revelation 20:7-10 Our Lord Jesus Christ, by his death upon the cross, defeated satan and bound him with a great chain. The purpose of this binding was ’that he should deceive the nations no more.’ As the result of Satan’s binding, the glorious gospel of Christ has been carried into the four corners of the earth. Our Lord has been gathering his elect out of the four corners of the earth for two thousand years. Yet, he told us that when the time appointed (symbolized by the thousand years) was fulfilled, satan must be loosed for a little season. The Holy Spirit teaches us four things about this ’little season:’

1. At the end of this present gospel age, just before the coming of Christ, satan will once again be turned loose upon the nations of the world (Revelation 20:7)2. He will be allowed to deceive the nations of the world with false religion once more (Revelation 20:8)Gog and Magog represent all the nations of the world set in opposition to Christ, his church, and the gospel of his grace. The terms ‘Gog and Magog’ are borrowed from Ezekiel 38. But John never imagined anyone making them to mean Russia, China, or any other literal nation! He tells us plainly that Gog and Magog represent the nations of the world under the influence of satanic deception. Read Revelation 20:8!
2. Under the satanic delusion of false religion all the nations of the world will rise up in opposition to Christ, his gospel, and his church (Revelation 20:9)Here again we are warned about the great battle of Armageddon. This is the same battle described in Revelation 16:12-16; Revelation 19:19-21. It is the final assault of satan against the Lord Jesus Christ. The meaning of the vision is clear: Toward the close of this gospel age, before Christ comes in glory, satan will deceive the world with a false gospel, a false Christ, a false god, a false spirit, and a false faith; and the world, in the name of Christ, will turn in violent persecution against Christ’s kingdom.
3. Satan’s last assault, like all that have preceded it, shall be foiled in the end (Revelation 20:10) The purpose of God will not be frustrated. The truth of God shall not be overturned. The saints of God shall not be deceived. The church of God shall not be harmed. The Christ of God shall thoroughly defeat his enemies. The punishment of the beast and the false prophet has already been described (Revelation 19:20). Here John assures us that satan, the beast, and the false prophet will all be cast into the lake of fire. In that horrible place of damnation they will be unceasingly tormented forever. This battle will end in swift and decisive victory for us when Christ comes in power and great glory (2 Thessalonians 2:8). Here are five facts that cannot be denied and need to be understood by all who seek to serve God in this generation. We are living in an apostate religious world The New Testament teaches us plainly that before Christ comes, as this dispensation is drawn to a rapid conclusion, there will be a general, universal, wholesale departure from the faith of the gospel. It is true, this departure from the gospel began during the days of the apostles. Satan has been around from the beginning. Antichrists were abundant even in the apostolic age (1 John 4:1-3). Yet, never before in history have almost all professedly ‘Christian churches’ of the world so openly denied the gospel of Christ and so unanimously accepted, promoted, and preached the lies of satan. Never before has the philosophy of the world and the religion of the world been so completely united.

I am not referring to the apostasy of Rome. Romanism has always been apostate. Papacy was antichrist from the beginning. But in our day, the children of Rome are rapidly returning to their harlot mother, not in name, but in doctrine. The major tenets virtually of all organized ‘Christian’ religions are purely Roman doctrines. These are things held in common, throughout the world by Presbyterians, Mormons, Baptists, Methodists, Anglicans, Campbellites, Pentecostalists, Russellites, Liberals, Conservatives, Fundamentalists, Catholics, Non-Catholics, Protestants, and Non-Protestants.

They are even held in common by Jews, Muslims, Hindus, and Buddhists. The universally embraced heresies of this apostate age are free-willism, salvation, works justification, separatism (The teaching that evil is in things, not in us!), and rewards or loss of rewards in heaven based on works. No one can know for certain, but it may be that we are now living in the day of Satan’s little season. Professing Christianity is in a state of almost total apostasy. There is a remnant according to the election of grace. There are a few individuals and churches scattered throughout the world who believe and preach the truth of God. However, by comparison, they are a very small remnant. The nations of the world have been deceived with the satanic lie of free-will, works religion.

This is precisely what God told us would happen in these last days. These are perilous times for the souls of men (1 Timothy 4:1-5; 2 Timothy 3:1-15; 2 Timothy 4:1-4; 2 Thessalonians 2:1-8). Our Lord said, ‘I am come in my Father’s name, and ye receive me not: if another shall come in his own name, him ye will receive’ (John 5:43). It has come to pass. False prophets come in their own name, and men and women flock to hear them, while rejecting with anger the gospel of God’s free and sovereign grace in Christ. The apostate religion of this world is the result of God’s judicial reprobation Rolfe Barnard once said, ‘This is a reprobate age, an age that cannot be explained apart from the judgment of God.’ Here is one of the most solemn things set forth in all the Word of God. When God gives men the light of the gospel and they refuse to walk in it, they are in danger of being reprobate, cast off, and deceived by satan. And this is the work of God! (Read Hosea 4:17 and Matthew 23:37-38). Reprobation is the work of god, fixing it so that those who will not receive the truth cannot receive it (Proverbs 1:23-33) It is the Lord Jesus Christ himself who turns satan loose upon the nations for a little season (Revelation 20:3; Revelation 20:7). It is God the Holy Spirit who ceases to restrain the powers of darkness (2 Thessalonians 2:7-8). It is God the Father who sends men a strong delusion, that they might be damned (2 Thessalonians 2:9-12). I cannot imagine anything more solemn. The Scriptures tell us that God almighty sovereignly employs satan and his hellish religion to secure the damnation of those who hear, but will not receive the love of the truth! God will not trifle with those who trifle with his Son and the gospel of his grace. There are three marks by which the messengers of satan, by whom the nations of the world are deceived, may be identified

1. Their enchanting miracles (2 Thessalonians 2:9; Revelation 16:13-14)
2. Their evident motives (2 Peter 2:3)
3. Their enticing message Some of these false prophets have all three marks, some have two, some have only one. But every false prophet can be identified by these three marks. He may, or may not, pretend to have apostolic gifts. He may, or may not, be an evidently covetous man. But every false prophet in the world has the same message. He will always mix something, somewhere, with the work of Christ (2 Corinthians 11:1-3; 2 Corinthians 11:13-15).

Every false prophet and every false religion, every satanic delusion, makes salvation, acceptance with God, and eternal life, to one degree or another, dependent upon man. Somewhere or another, by one means or another, at one point or another, all false religion makes salvation conditional upon something done by the sinner. Any man who preaches conditional grace is a deceiver of men, an instrument of satan for the damning of men’s souls. Salvation is conditioned upon the work of Christ alone! Christ alone is our Savior (1 Corinthians 1:30). And salvation in Christ is by the free grace of God alone (Ephesians 2:8-9). God’s saints in these dark days have great cause for thanksgiving (2 Thessalonians 2:13-14)If you are one of God’s elect, a trophy of his almighty grace, snatched out of this apostate religious world, you have something for which to be thankful. What shouts of praise and thanksgiving must have erupted in the hearts of the Thessalonian believers when they read these verses! Rejoice and give thanks to God for his unspeakable grace and abundant mercy. He has chosen us as the objects of his love. He has redeemed us by the blood of his dear Son (2 Corinthians 5:21). He has caused us to hear the gospel (Romans 10:17; Amos 8:11-12).

He has called us by the power of his Spirit (Psalms 65:4). He has given us faith in Christ and saved us from eternal ruin by his omnipotent grace (Ephesians 2:1-5; Ephesians 2:8-9). And he has kept and shall keep us from the apostasy of this age (1 John 2:19-28). These days of darkness place us in a position of great responsibility We must hold fast that form of sound words which we have received (2 Timothy 1:13) and earnestly contend for the faith (Jude 1:3). We must in these dark days, as never before, make known to eternity bound men and women the gospel of God’s free and sovereign grace in Christ (2 Timothy 4:1-5). There is no hope for any apart from the knowledge of Christ in the gospel. There is no cause for despair (Revelation 20:10) Satan shall fall. The truth of God shall prevail. The church of God is safe. God’s elect cannot be deceived by Satan’s lie (Matthew 24:22-24; Mark 13:20-22). The day of victory is at hand. When God our Savior is finished with our adversary, the devil, he will cast him into the lake of fire, where he can do no more harm.

Revelation 20:11-15

Chapter 51 Christ and the great white throne judgment ‘And I saw a great white throne, and him that sat on it, from whose face the earth and the heaven fled away; and there was found no place for them’ Revelation 20:11-15 When will the day of judgment be? Who will be judged? Who will be the judge? Will there be one judgment or two? Will there be one judgment for believers and another for unbelievers? Will we be judged first by Christ for our sins and second for our works as believers?

These are questions about which there is much needless confusion. A careful study of the teachings of the Word of God about the day of judgment will help to clarify our thinking about that great day. No text in the Bible more clearly teaches us what will happen on that day than Revelation 20:11-15. Read that passage carefully. This is the throne of judgment before which we all must appear in the last day. It is called ‘a great white throne’, to set forth the power, holiness, and sovereignty of the One who sits upon it.

It is called ‘great’ because it is the throne of the omnipotent God. It is called ‘white’ because it is pure, spotless, righteous, and just. Nothing proceeds from this throne but justice and truth. It is called a ’throne’ because the Judge who sits upon it, before whom we all must stand, is the holy, sovereign Lord God. In the last day, when time shall be no more, we all must appear before the august, great, white throne to be judged of God, to be judged according to the strict and exact righteousness and justice of the thrice holy God! However, while the Word of God constantly warns the wicked of the terror of divine judgment and the everlasting wrath of God, the day of judgment is never described as a terror to believers, or even a thing to be dreaded by us. Rather, for the believer the day of judgment is always set forth as a matter of anticipated joy and glory. On this earth God’s saints are constantly misjudged. His servants are maligned and slandered by reprobate men. But in that last great day, God almighty will vindicate his people and he will vindicate his servants (1 Corinthians 4:3-5). In the Word of God, we do not find God’s saints dreading that day, but looking forward to it, even anticipating it, with peace.

If, as believers, as sinners saved by God’s free and sovereign grace, through the sin-atoning blood and imputed righteousness of the Lord Jesus Christ, we understand what the Bible says about that great day, we will look forward to it, too. With those things in mind, let’s see what the Bible teaches about the great white throne judgment. I do not claim to be an expert on prophetic matters. But I do know that there are five things clearly revealed in the Word of God about things to come.

1. The Lord Jesus Christ is coming again Do not concern yourself about the signs of the times and those things which men imagine are indications of the last days. There is very little, if anything, of spiritual value to be gained by studying all the books ever written on prophetic issues. They all have to be rewritten as soon as the predicted events have failed to come to pass! We are never commanded to look for signs of our Lord’s coming. We are commanded to be looking for him to come! Get this one blessed fact fixed in your mind - Jesus Christ, our Lord, our Savior, the Son of God, is coming again! The Son of God is personally coming again to this earth ( Acts 1:9-11).That very same God-man who was born at Bethlehem, who lived as our Representative, and died as our sin-atoning Substitute on the cross is coming to this earth again. He said, ‘I will come again’ (John 14:3). The Apostle Paul wrote, ‘The Lord himself shall descend from heaven’ (1 Thessalonians 4:16). He said, ‘The Lord Jesus shall be revealed from heaven’ (2 Thessalonians 1:7;.

Job 19:25-27). He came once in weakness. He is coming again in power. He came once in humiliation. He is coming again in glory. He came once to be despised.

He is coming again to be admired. He came once to suffer. He is coming again to conquer. The second coming of Christ will be sudden, unannounced, unexpected, and climatic. Christ will come as a thief in the night, without warning (1 Thessalonians 5:2). He said, ‘I will come on thee as a thief, and thou shalt not know what hour I will come upon thee’ (Revelation 3:3). The Lord does not tell us to look for the tribulation, or the regathering of Israel, or the rebuilding of a Jewish temple. He tells us to look for him! If you look for signs, and times, and seasons, you will be shocked when Christ comes. The only thing mentioned in the Word of God that will announce the Lord’s coming will be ‘a shout, the voice of the archangel and the trump of God’ (1 Thessalonians 4:16). No man knows the day or hour of our Lord’s coming; and that is best (Matthew 24:36; Mark 13:32; Acts 1:7). If we knew the day or hour, we would become irresponsible and negligent with regard to our daily duties. Do not seek to know when Christ is coming. Be content with his promise, and wait for his appearing. Yet, we must always look for our Lord Jesus to appear at any moment. ‘Behold, he cometh’ (Revelation 1:7) Look for him upon the tiptoe of faith and expectation. All will be taken by surprise except those who are expecting him to appear. Like those Thessalonians who believed God, we must constantly ‘wait for his Son from heaven’ (1 Thessalonians 1:10).

Faith is ever ’looking for that blessed hope and the glorious appearing of the great God and our Savior Jesus Christ’ (Titus 2:13). Christ is coming now. Soon he shall appear. And when the Son of God appears he will bring with him a crown of righteousness, immortality, and life for all who love him and look for his appearing (2 Timothy 4:8; James 1:12). 2. When Christ comes, there will be a great, general resurrection of all who have ever lived upon the earth (Revelation 20:13; John 5:28-29) First, all who have died in faith shall be raised from the grave. All will be raised. But the saints of God will have distinct priority in the resurrection. ‘The dead in Christ shall rise first.’ The bodies of God’s saints shall be raised from their graves and reunited with their souls (1 Thessalonians 4:13-18). All the Old Testament saints and all the saints and martyrs of this age, all who sleep in Jesus, shall be raised from their graves! Then, immediately after the sleeping saints rise, all believers living upon the earth shall be changed and caught up to meet the Lord in the air (1 Corinthians 15:51-58). As our Lord descends in the brilliant glory of his second coming, we shall go out to meet him and return with him, as he comes with all his saints to burn up the earth, destroy the wicked, and make all things new.

What a day that will be! After that, after the Son of God has gathered all the ransomed bodies of his elect from the earth, after he has destroyed all the wicked with the brightness of his coming, all the wicked shall be raised. There is a resurrection for the wicked, too. But, for those who believe not, there is no music in the resurrection. The Lord himself shall issue a summons they cannot resist. They shall stand in terror before him whose grace they have despised and against whom they have sinned!

The body and soul now united in sin shall be united in horror to be judged of God and suffer his wrath forever in hell! 3. Immediately after the resurrection, we must all be judged by God according to the record of our works (Revelation 20:12-13)‘It is appointed unto men once to die, but after this the judgment’ (Hebrews 9:27). The Judge before whom we must stand is the God-man, whom we have crucified (John 5:22; Acts 17:31; 2 Corinthians 5:10). We will be judged out of the books, according to the record of God’s strict justice. When the books are opened, what shocks of terror will seize the hearts and souls of those who have no righteousness and no atonement before the holy Lord God! With the opening of the books, every crime, every offense, every sin they have ever committed, in mind, in heart, and in deed shall be exposed! ‘Judgment was set; and the books were opened’ (Daniel 7:10).

I realize that this is figurative language. God does not need books to remember man’s sins. However, as John Gill wrote, ’this judgment out of the books, and according to works, is designed to show with what accuracy and exactness, with what justice and equity, it will be executed, in allusion to statute-books in courts of judicature.’ In the Scriptures God is often represented as writing and keeping books. And according to these books we all shall be judged. What are the books?…The Book of Divine Omniscience (Malachi 3:5)…The Book of Divine Remembrance (Malachi 3:16)…The Book of Creation (Romans 1:18-20)…The Book of God’s Providence (Romans 2:4-5)…The Book of Conscience (Romans 2:15)…The Book of God’s Holy Law (Romans 2:12) ...And the Book of the Gospel (Romans 2:16). But there are some against whom no crimes, no sins, no offenses can be found, not even by the omniscient eye of God himself! ‘In those days, and in that time, saith the LORD, the iniquity of Israel shall be sought for, and there shall be none; and the sins of Judah, and they shall not be found: for I will pardon them whom I reserve’ (Jeremiah 50:20) Their names are found in another book, a book which God himself wrote and sealed before the worlds were made. It is called, ‘The Book of Life.’ In this book there is a record of divine election, the name of Christ our divine Surety, a record of perfect righteousness (Jeremiah 23:6; cf. Jeremiah 33:16), a record of complete satisfaction, and the promise of eternal life. The question is often raised, ‘Will God judge his elect for their sins and failures, committed after they were saved, and expose them in the day of judgment?’ The only reason that question is ever raised is because many retain a remnant of the Roman doctrine of purgatory, by which they hope to hold over God’s saints the whip and terror of the law. There is absolutely no sense in which those who trust Christ shall ever be made to pay for their sins! Our sins were imputed to Christ and shall never be imputed to us again (Romans 4:8).

Christ paid our debt to God’s law and justice; and God will never require us to pay. God who has blotted out our transgressions will never write them again. He who covered our sins will never uncover them! The perfect righteousness of Christ has been imputed to us. On the day of judgment, God’s elect are never represented as having done any evil, but only good (Matthew 25:31-40). The day of judgment will be a day of glory and bliss for Christ and his people, not a day of mourning and sorrow.

It will be a marriage supper. Christ will glory in his Church. God will display the glory of his grace in us. And we will glory in our God. 4. Those who are found perfectly righteous, righteous according to the records of God himself, shall enter into eternal life and inherit everlasting glory with Christ They that have done good, nothing but good, perfect good, without any spot of sin, wrinkle of iniquity, or trace of transgression, shall enter into everlasting life. (Revelation 22:11). Who are these perfectly righteous ones? They are all who are saved by God’s free and sovereign grace in Christ (1 Corinthians 6:9-11; Romans 8:1; Romans 8:32-34). Though there shall be degrees of punishment for the wicked in hell, because there are degrees of wickedness, there shall be no degrees of reward and glory among the saints in heaven, because there are no degrees of redemption and righteousness. Heaven was earned and purchased for all God’s elect by Christ. We were predestined to obtained our inheritance from eternity (Ephesians 1:11).

Christ has taken possession of heaven’s glory as our forerunner (Hebrews 6:20). We are heirs of God and joint-heirs with Jesus Christ (Romans 8:17). Our Savior gave all the glory he earned as our Mediator to all his elect (John 17:5; John 17:20). And in Christ every believer is worthy of heaven’s glory (Colossians 1:12). Glorification is but the consummation of salvation; and salvation is by grace alone! That means no part of heaven’s bliss and glory is the reward of our works, but all the reward of God’s free grace in Christ!

All spiritual blessings are ours from eternity in Christ (Ephesians 1:3). 5. All who are found guilty of sin in that great and terrible day of judgment shall be cast into the lake of fire and there be made to suffer the unmitigated wrath of almighty God forever One by one, God will call the wicked before his throne and judge them. As he says, ‘Depart ye cursed,’ he will say to his holy angels, ‘Take him! Bind him! Cast him into outer darkness!’ In that day there will be no mercy, no pity, no sorrow, no hope, and no end for the wicked! To hell they deserve to go! To hell they must go! To hell they will go! Let all who read these lines beware. Unless you flee to Christ and take refuge in him, in that great day the wrath of God shall seize you and destroy you forever! I beseech you now, by the mercies of God, be reconciled to God by trusting his darling Son!: In that great and terrible day let us be found in Christ, not having our own righteousness, but the righteousness of God in Christ.