John's descriptions of his visions are powerful reminders of the world's hatred of Jesus Christ, inspired by Satan. We have also seen how God will provide potent reminders of His sovereignty, as He did to Pharaoh in Egypt, even though people ignore His message and refuse to repent (Revelation 9:20; 16:9). Nobody will be able to say that the Lord has not revealed enough about Himself for them to submit to Him (Romans 1:18-20).

Previously in Revelation, we have seen the Antichrist and the false prophet (Revelation 19:20), and the devil (Revelation 20:10) all consigned to the lake of fire for their enduring eternal punishment. But human beings have not yet been judged. So, the great white throne is the final landmark before eternity. The throne is 'great' because it belongs to God, and 'white' because His judgement is pure and just and true (Revelation 3:14). The trinity of the Godhead - Father, Son and Holy Spirit - occupies the sovereign's place (Revelation 1:4-5). It is an awesome moment in which the created earth and heavenly bodies are dismissed (2 Peter 3:10): the finest of God's works have all been corrupted by sin, and their splendour pales into insignificance compared to His glory (Romans 8:19-20). The old creation is obsolete and inadequate for the Bride of Christ (Revelation 21:1-2). Everything will have to be made new (Revelation 21:5).

But before then the dead will be judged. Everybody will be raised to life to stand before the Lord on His throne (Daniel 12:2). All must all appear in God's courtroom (2 Corinthians 5:10), as Jesus says in John 5:28-29. It does not matter how much power or influence, wealth or fame a person has had; each one is judged equally according to the evidence of their lives. The evidence is written in books containing every detail of our lives, thoughts, words and actions. These records have been kept from the beginning of time (Psalm 139:16). As you can imagine, none of the records show that anybody is perfect, except Jesus Christ. So, wonderfully, there is another book, the book of life. Into that volume are written the names of everybody who have received eternal life through the atoning sacrifice of Christ (Philippians 4:3). All whose names are in that book will be judged as though their punishment has already been paid by Jesus on the cross. All whose name are not in that book will be judged on the accumulated evidence of their disobedience against God, and rebellion against the rule of Jesus Christ (Revelation 21:27; 22:14-15).

Although there are many social and religious ideas about what happens after death, none is validated except by Jesus who came from heaven to die so that those who believe in Him might not perish but have eternal life (John 3:16): their names are written in the book of life. In these simple verses, Jesus tells us all we need to know. One of two eternal destinies awaits us all. His judgement is fair based on the evidence that none of us is sinless; His mercy and grace are fair because Jesus has taken the punishment for all who trust Him. Those who refuse to submit to Jesus must bear their own sin before the great white throne. This should encourage believers to follow Jesus more closely, and to share the gospel with friends and colleagues who have never heard or understood what Christ has done for them. So, let us learn to be more holy in life and more courageous in lip – so that Jesus may be glorified and sinners saved.