The Book of Life or The Lake of Fire

From chapters 6 through 21 John presents seven scenes. Here again is the outline of his book:

In chapters 6 - 21 John presented seven scenes of the End Times, each revealing more about what we are to expect as we await the return of our King. Seven is a most important number in Scripture. As I pointed out in an earlier blog:

Seven is the great number of completion and perfection. The number is used 735 times in Scripture, 54 times in Revelation. It is tied directly to God's creation of all things. The Jewish rabbis traditionally claim that Adam was created on Oct. 7, 3761 B.C. (the first day of Tishri, the 7th month of the Hebrew calendar). God created all things and completed His work on the 6th day, to rest on the 7th. So His children were commanded to follow His example and to "rest" on the Sabbath, the 7th day (Exo 16:23-29).

So the number 7 is John's basic outline for his book on the Revelation given to him. After the messages to the seven churches, he shares seven scenes:

1. Christ opens the Seven Seals (Rev 6:1-8:5)
2. Seven Trumpets are blown (Rev 8:6-11:19)
3. The battle between the Triune God and the Anti-Trinity (Rev. 12:1-14:20)
4. The pouring out of the Seven Bowls of Wrath (Rev 15:1-16:21)
5. Babylon, the Prostitute, is overthrown (Rev 17:1-19:21)
6. The Final Judgment (Rev 20:1-21:8)
7. The New Jerusalem, the Bride, the wife of the Lamb (Rev 21:9-22:5 

Epilogue: Come, Lord Jesus! (Rev 22:6-21)

The following image is presented to assist you, my readers, in imaging what the Great White Throne looks like. The link to which the image is attached contains several statements with which I do not entirely agree.

The Great White Throne

So we are now looking at John's vision of the Final Judgment and the great white throne. He writes:

Then I saw a great white throne and him who was seated on it. From his presence earth and sky fled away, and no place was found for them. And I saw the dead, great and small, standing before the throne, and books were opened. Then another book was opened, which is the book of life. And the dead were judged by what was written in the books, according to what they had done. And the sea gave up the dead who were in it, Death and Hades gave up the dead who were in them, and they were judged, each one of them, according to what they had done. Then Death and Hades were thrown into the lake of fire. This is the second death, the lake of fire. And if anyone's name was not found written in the book of life, he was thrown into the lake of fire. - Rev 20:11-15 ESV

Several questions arise as we look upon this vision, especially since we have emphasized again and again that this is primarily a book of symbols. So we ask,

• What is the great white throne? 
• What is the book of life? 
• What is Death and Hades?
• What is the second death, the lake of fire? 

As noted earlier, the throne or the rule over all things belongs to the King of kings and Lord of lords. In the OT the prophet Daniel referred to the earthly king Nebuchadnezzar as the king of kings (Dan. 2:37). The Apostle Paul picks up this reference as he tells Timothy that the Lord Jesus is the blessed and only Sovereign, the King of kings and Lord of lords, who alone has immortality, who dwells in unapproachable light, whom no one has ever seen or can see. To him be honor and eternal dominion. Amen. (1Ti 6:15-16 ESV). John, in turn, picks up this same phrase as he also calls Jesus King of kings in Rev. 17:14.

But what books are opened? Again we turn to the OT.

Moses pleads for the Israelites: "But now, if you will forgive their sin--but if not, please blot me out of your book that you have written." - Exo 32:32 ESV

Again the Psalmist condemns God's enemies: "Let them be blotted out of the book of the living; let them not be enrolled among the righteous." - Psa 69:28 ESV

And the prophet writes: "he who is left in Zion and remains in Jerusalem will be called holy, everyone who has been recorded for life in Jerusalem," - Isa 4:3 ESV

And finally Daniel: "At that time shall arise Michael, the great prince who has charge of your people. And there shall be a time of trouble, such as never has been since there was a nation till that time. But at that time your people shall be delivered, everyone whose name shall be found written in the book. - Dan 12:1 ESV

So John sees a symbolical book in which are written all the names of those chosen to be the children of God, destined to eternal life. But what awaits those whose names are not written therein? All the dead whose names are not recorded in the book of life must now face the second death. This death is also the lake of fire. Earlier John has stated that this lake burns with sulfur (Rev. 19:20; 20:10). But how literally are we to take this? Both the OT and Jesus speak about the burning judgment of God.

• For the LORD your God is a consuming fire, a jealous God. - Deut. 4:24 ESV 
• Who can stand before his indignation? Who can endure the heat of his anger? His wrath is poured out like fire, and the rocks are broken into pieces by him. - Nah 1:6 ESV 
• and throw them into the fiery furnace. In that place there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth. - Mat 13:42 ESV 
• And if your hand or your foot causes you to sin, cut it off and throw it away. It is better for you to enter life crippled or lame than with two hands or two feet to be thrown into the eternal fire. - Mat 18:8 ESV 
• "Then he will say to those on his left, 'Depart from me, you cursed, into the eternal fire prepared for the devil and his angels. - Mat 25:41 ESV 
• And if your eye causes you to sin, tear it out. It is better for you to enter the kingdom of God with one eye than with two eyes to be thrown into hell, 'where their worm does not die and the fire is not quenched.' - Mark 9:47-48 ESV 
• and in Hades, being in torment, he lifted up his eyes and saw Abraham far off and Lazarus at his side. - Luke 16:23 ESV

We shall not here deal with the questions about where this hell, this second death, this lake of fire is. It does not seem that we are to look for some literal location under the earth, etc. The image is rather a warning to us who are yet in the flesh. We are to imagine the physical torment and pain we would endure in such a place and then add to that the emotional and spiritual anguish of being cut off from the presence of God—forever! Those sent there face the extreme opposite of those whose names are recorded in the book of life. Enough said.  Life or death, you choose.

From this sharply contrasting image John now transports us to the new Jerusalem and the glory awaiting those chosen to dwell there.

Take Refuge In The King Of Kings

Chapter 19 of The Revelation concludes with a disturbing image of flesh-eating birds gorging themselves with the flesh of men and beasts who have made war against the LORD Christ, King of kings and Lord of lords. The one known as "the beast" is captured, together with the "false prophet"

Then I saw an angel standing in the sun, and with a loud voice he called to all the birds that fly directly overhead, "Come, gather for the great supper of God, to eat the flesh of kings, the flesh of captains, the flesh of mighty men, the flesh of horses and their riders, and the flesh of all men, both free and slave, both small and great." 

And I saw the beast and the kings of the earth with their armies gathered to make war against him who was sitting on the horse and against his army. And the beast was captured, and with it the false prophet who in its presence had done the signs by which he deceived those who had received the mark of the beast and those who worshiped its image. These two were thrown alive into the lake of fire that burns with sulfur. And the rest were slain by the sword that came from the mouth of him who was sitting on the horse, and all the birds were gorged with their flesh. - Rev 19:17-21 ESV

This "beast" is first mentioned in Rev. 13:

And I saw a beast rising out of the sea, with ten horns and seven heads, with ten diadems on its horns and blasphemous names on its heads. And the beast that I saw was like a leopard; its feet were like a bear's, and its mouth was like a lion's mouth. And to it the dragon gave his power and his throne and great authority. One of its heads seemed to have a mortal wound, but its mortal wound was healed, and the whole earth marveled as they followed the beast. - Rev 13:1-3 ESV

As noted in my commentary upon Rev. 13, this beast symbolically refers to Rome, the city built upon seven hills. The beast's  seven heads refers to the seven Roman emperors, probably beginning with Julius Ceasar. Now John sees this great beast's end. He and "the false prophet"—the anti-Christ of Dan. 7:8,11, 20-21, 24-25;11:36-45; 2 Thessalonians 2:3-12; and 1 John 2:18; 4:3—are to be judged. They are both thrown into the lake of fire that burns with sulfur.

Lake of fire

What is the "lake of fire that burns with sulfur"? Some, contrary to what we have learned about John's symbolical writing, want to turn the area around the Dead Sea into that literal lake of fire. That area was indeed where Sodom and Gomorrah once stood. Jude calls our attention to that ruined area (Jude 7). But just as the beast and the false prophet are symbols, so also is the lake of fire that burns with the  putrid smell of sulfur a symbol pointing back to a previous time of final judgment. Sodom and Gomorrah are gone forever. So likewise will the beast and the false prophet meet their final end in fiery judgment.

Once again John's Revelation reminds us that Christ's judgment will come upon all who dare to oppose Him. He is the King of all kings and the Lord of all lords. As the psalmist long ago said,

Now therefore, O kings, be wise; be warned, O rulers of the earth. Serve the LORD with fear, and rejoice with trembling. Kiss the Son, lest he be angry, and you perish in the way, for his wrath is quickly kindled. Blessed are all who take refuge in him. - Psa 2:10-12 ESV