The Bible is clear. The world will not always go on the way it has. There will not always be evil, death, sickness, sadness. The book of Revelation, the last book of the Bible, makes it clear that God plans to eliminate these things. While to some this seems fantastic, for those of us who believe in the Bible and that it is a supernaturally inspired book, it is truth.
Consider Revelation 20. The beginning of the chapter details the thousand year punishment of Satan, otherwise known as the devil. Part of Satan’s punishment is to spend one thousand years bound on earth with no one to tempt. A thousand year solitary confinement of sorts that will give him plenty of time for reflection on all the evil and chaos he has caused over the entire period of his rebellion against God’s government.
I want to focus on the last part of Revelation 20 though. Starting with verse 11. In verse 5 we learn that “(The rest of the dead did not come to life until the thousand years were ended.)” The rest of the dead being those who did not believe in Jesus Christ as their Lord and Savior and therefore were not resurrected in the first resurrection which Jesus described in John 5:28 as being the resurrection of life. Verse 11 and 12 we see the wicked being judged by God.
“Then I saw a great white throne and him who was seated on it. The earth and the heavens fled from his presence, and there was no place for them. 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.” – Revelation 20:11-12
Every person that ever lived in the history of humanity from the time of Adam and Eve, the first human beings created by God according to the Bible, to the second coming of Christ will be present at that moment. Those who have been declared righteous for having believed in Jesus Christ whose death and resurrection became theirs by faith were present in the New Jerusalem, a special city built by God himself. Those who did not place their trust and confidence in God and Jesus Christ are on earth and by verse 11 they have tried and failed to launch an invasion against God and His saints.
The wicked will now therefore be judged. Every evil act, thought or motive is made clear to them in all its ugliness and power. Each human being who refused God’s free gift of salvation now faces the record of their life in gory detail. They get to relive every evil thought. Every evil action. Every mistake they have made. Every time that God tried to get their attention but failed because they loved their wicked ways more than they loved God. Every person God sent them to try to convince them of the evil of their ways and how every time God was rejected. Ultimately, it will be clear to every one of these wicked beings that God is just and that they deserve to die.
Why do you pass judgment on your brother? Or you, why do you despise your brother? For we will all stand before the judgment seat of God; 11for it is written, “As I live, says the Lord, every knee shall bow to me,
and every tongue shall confessb to God.” So then each of us will give an account of himself to God.” – Romans 14:10-12
Once every human being has been judged according to what they have done, they are all thrown into the lake of fire. ” Then death and Hades were thrown into the lake of fire. The lake of fire is the second death. Anyone whose name was not found written in the book of life was thrown into the lake of fire.” – Revelation 20:14-15. Notice that verse 14 states that the lake of fire is the second death. There is no coming back from the second death. It is the final death. Once every wicked and evil being, angel and human alike have been thrown into the lake of fire, there will be no more death, ever. This is why verse 14 states that “death and Hades were thrown into the lake of fire.” There will be no more death from this point forward. Evil will also be no more.
‘He will wipe every tear from their eyes. There will be no more death’ or mourning or crying or pain, for the old order of things has passed away.” – Revelation 21:4
This is the great hope. The blessed hope that Jesus Christ offers to everyone who believes in Him. We all have a choice to make. You have a choice to make. Will you choose to believe in Jesus Christ? Will you choose to surrender your life to Him? Don’t wait! Do it now! You won’t regret it.