Earth and sky fled
See how some things have fled? It wasn’t the people who fled (but I bet many would like to). It was the earth and sky, the molecules. The structures in which we have lived and had our being will go. They will disappear from before Jesus, the creator of them.
Before the Great White Throne the molecular is taken away. Our verse says, “no place was found for them.” In this vision that John had the created things do not have a place. In your kitchen you probably put pots in one place, forks in another; coffee mugs in one cabinet and your spatulas where you do your baking. There is a place for things. Before Jesus and this throne all the things we have used and engaged, possessed and worked with have no place.
In this scene it is not about people here and stuff there. It is just about people and what they have done. An accounting is about to commence. Consider what the author of book of Hebrews wrote.
12 For the word of God is living and active, sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing to the division of soul and of spirit, of joints and of marrow, and discerning the thoughts and intentions of the heart. 13 And no creature is hidden from his sight, but all are naked and exposed to the eyes of him to whom we must give account. (Hebrews 4:12-13–ESV)
Here at the end of God’s man-project the living and active sword of the Lord will have divided the body and spirit. The molecules will be dispatched, but the spirits remain. The essence of what remains will be the thoughts and intentions, the motivations and desires. Though they may have been hidden for much of our lives they will stand naked before God, before all. Note it is not about your body being naked before all others, but your motivations.
These molecules that our lives swirled through will end up being the framework where our motivations are carried out. The deeds done in the body write our story. What we do with the molecules around us reflects the part of us which is spirit.
Equality & diversity before the judge
12 And I saw the dead, great and small, standing before the throne, (Revelation 20:12a–ESV)
While on earth “-isms” e.g. racism, sexism, nationalism, etc., are rampant. Before the throne they will be irrelevant. Maybe you can recall the following line from the second paragraph of the American Declaration of Independence: “We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal.” While this document is American, and clearly imperfectly applied, the bigger picture is Christian; that type of thing in many places in scripture. Know that at the end of time it will be perfectly applied.1
Here at the end of God’s man-project we see it. Probably you have heard the phrase, “they put their pants on like everyone else.”2 Before God we are all equal; we will all be held to the same standard. Many Bible verses have that theme, and at the end of all things one’s earth-status will have no bearing to one’s eternal status.
Your “ism” is no get-out-of-judgment free card
We do not rise or fall before God on the basis of our wealth or other things that describe us. We rise or fall based upon what we have done with the pennies/genes/circumstances/raw material we have been given.
Alan Finch says
My name is Alan Finch. I became a Christian 42 years ago.
The Great White Throne Judgment is indeed a judgment, but the outcome of that judgment will not be a judgment of people spending eternity being tormented in the Lake of Fire, but it will be a judgment by FIRE that will come forth from God’s Spirit that will do a transforming work of “Divine Purification” in every person that comes before the Great White Throne Judgment. This transforming work from God’s Spirit will be God’s final step in RECONCILING that person to Him which has only been made possible by the shedding of Christ’s Redeeming Blood on the Cross for ALL. (Colossians 1:20)
After the transforming work from God’s Spirit is completed in each and every single person who comes before the Great White Throne Judgment, they will no doubt understand and experience Christ’s Boundless Love for them throughout their entire being. (Note: we do not know how long that this process will take. Very likely the length of time will differ with each person)
I have written a 27 page article that Biblically will answer a number of the most important questions in regards to the final outcome of the entire human race. It is extensive, that is why that the article is 27 pages. If anyone would like a copy, feel free to e-mail me and ask for a copy and I will e-mail you a copy.
Candy33alan@aol.com
Lane Ulrich says
Thanks for your interest in the important subject of forever. Is the fire from God’s Spirit as you describe it sort of like Purgatory?