Revelation 20:7-15: a reflection

7And after the thousand years, Satan will be released from his prison 8and he will come out to deceive the nations which are in the four corners of the earth, Gog and Magog, to gather them together to the war, whose number is as the sand of the sea. 9They went up over the width of the earth and surrounded the camp of the saints and the beloved city. Fire came down out of heaven from God and devoured them. 10The devil who deceived them was thrown into the lake of fire and sulfur, where the beast and the false prophet are also. They will be tormented day and night forever and ever. 11I saw a great white throne and him who sat on it, from whose face the earth and the sky fled away. There was found no place for them. 12I saw the dead, the great and the small, standing before the throne, and they opened books. Another book was opened, which is the book of life. The dead were judged out of the things which were written in the books, according to their works. 13The sea gave up the dead who were in it. Death and Hades gave up the dead who were in them. They were judged, each one according to his works. 14Death and Hades were thrown into the lake of fire. This is the second death, the lake of fire. 15If anyone was not found written in the book of life, he was cast into the lake of fire.

In the vision of the end, John sees the final judgment before the great white throne: the dead, great and small, standing before God, and the books opened, and another book, the book of life. The dead are judged according to their works, and the sober line is drawn: If anyone was not found written in the book of life, he was cast into the lake of fire. The final judgment is real and sobering; yet there is a book of life, and the hope held out is to be found written in it. To have one's name in the book of life is the hope, the safety, before the throne of judgment.

Notice the two things the vision shows: the sober reality of final judgment, and the hope of the book of life. The judgment is real; all the dead, great and small, stand before God, and are judged. This is sobering, not to be treated lightly; there is a reckoning before God. But there is also the book of life, and the hope is to be found written in it. The safety before the throne is to have one's name in the book of life. The vision does not leave us only with the terror of judgment; it holds out the hope of the book of life, in which our names may be written. The final judgment is sobering, but the book of life is the hope for those found written there.

That is worth taking to heart, for the final judgment is real and sobering, and the hope is to be found written in the book of life. We can live as though there were no final reckoning, no judgment before God; but the vision shows the dead standing before the throne, judged, and holds out the book of life as the hope. To be found written in the book of life is the safety before the throne. Do not live as though there were no final judgment; there is a reckoning before God, and the hope is to be found written in the book of life. Live mindful of the final judgment before God, and seek to be found written in the book of life, which is the hope and safety before the throne, as the vision shows the dead judged and those written in the book of life spared the second death; for the final judgment is real and sobering, and the hope held out is to have our names written in the book of life, found there through Christ, in whom our safety before the throne rests.

Lord, in the vision of the end, John sees the final judgment before the great white throne: the dead, great and small, standing before you, and the books opened, and another book, the book of life. The dead are judged according to their works, and the sober line is drawn: if anyone was not found written in the book of life, he was cast into the lake of fire. The final judgment is real and sobering; yet there is a book of life, and the hope held out is to be found written in it. Show me the two things the vision shows: the sober reality of final judgment, and the hope of the book of life. The judgment is real; all the dead, great and small, stand before you, and are judged. This is sobering, not to be treated lightly; there is a reckoning before you. But there is also the book of life, and the hope is to be found written in it. The vision does not leave us only with the terror of judgment; it holds out the hope of the book of life. Take that to my heart, for the final judgment is real and sobering, and the hope is to be found written in the book of life. I can live as though there were no final reckoning, no judgment before you; but the vision shows the dead standing before the throne, judged, and holds out the book of life as the hope. To be found written in the book of life is the safety before the throne. Keep me from living as though there were no final judgment; help me live mindful of the reckoning before you, Lord, and seek to be found written in the book of life, my safety before the throne resting in Christ, in whom my name is written.