Transcript

ANNOUNCER: Revelation 20 11-15 describes what we call the Great White Throne Judgment. Some people call it the Final Judgment. What should be our perception of this particular judgment? And why is it beneficial to study about it? We’re so glad you joined us today, friend. This is Grace in Focus, the broadcast and podcast ministry of the Grace Evangelical Society. Find us at faithalone.org. We’d love you to go there, research, read any of our thousands of articles on theology and free grace. Also, we have a bookstore where you can find Bob Wilkin’s latest book, The Gospel Is Still Under Siege. And please find out information about our upcoming National Annual Conference, May 18th through the 21st, 2026. Take advantage of our early bird registration and free registration for first-timers. All the information you need is at faithalone.org. 

And now with today’s discussion, here are Bob Wilkin and Philippe Sterling. 

BOB: We’ve come in our little caravan of eschatology, the study of the last days, to something called the Great White Throne Judgment. And that expression, as far as I know, only occurs one time. And it’s actually not called the Great White Throne Judgment. It’s called the judgment that occurs at the Great White Throne. 

PHILIPPE: Right, so John just sees the Great White Throne and Him who sat on the throne.

BOB: But now this concept appears in many places in Scripture. And some people call this Final Judgment and we’re going to talk about that because we think that’s a huge mistake. A lot of people think there’s one combined judgment where everybody of all time is going to be judged. And one name for it is the Great White Throne Judgment. So let’s read Revelation 20:11-15. And then we can talk for a minute about the traditional understanding that that’s another name for the Judgment Seat of Christ, for the judgment of the sheep and the goats, and that there’s only one eschatological or last days judgment. So would you read Revelation 20:11-15? 

PHILIPPE: Yes. “Then I saw a great white throne and Him who sat on it, from Whose face the earth and the heaven fled away. And there was found no place for them. And I saw the dead, small and great, standing before God, and books were opened. And another book was opened, which is the book of life. And the dead were judged according to their works by the things which were written in the books. The sea gave up the dead who were in it, and Death and Hades delivered up the dead who were in them. And they were judged, each according to his works. Then Death and Hades were cast into the lake of fire. This is the second death. And anyone not found written in the book of life was cast into the lake of fire.” 

BOB: Okay, so we’re going to go through this in more detail, but a lot of people in Christianity don’t even use the expression, the Great White Throne Judgment. And they don’t talk about the Judgment Seat of Christ. So they just use the expression Final Judgment. Have you heard that? 

PHILIPPE: Yes. And they put all those judgments into that one basket, and just say there’s just one judgment and all those are just diverse names for the same thing. 

BOB: I remember I did a book called Four Views on the Role of Works at the Final Judgment for Zondervan. And I was one of four authors. And one of the other authors was Dr. Tom Schreiner of Southern Seminary, a leading New Testament scholar. I wrote, I can’t remember how many words, I had 10,000 or something. And after my opening chapter, he had a response, he said, I can’t keep up with all these judgments Wilkins has. He’s got the Judgment Seat of Christ. He’s got the Great White Throne Judgment. He’s got the judgment of the sheep and the goats. He said, “There’s only one judgment. Those are just different names of the same judgment.” 

The problem with that view is it doesn’t fit the Scriptures at all. For one thing, if you read the parable of the minas in Luke 19, first you have the judgment of three of the servants. And then it’s, “But bring here those enemies of mine who did not want me to reign over them and slay them in my presence.” The slaying them in my presence is the second death of this passage, Revelation 20:11-15. And it’s very clear they’re not present at the judgment of the believers. And there’s a great prophetic gap between the judgment of the servants in Luke 19:16-26, and the judgment of the enemies in verse 27. 

PHILIPPE: And that’s not unusual in Scripture. There can be great gaps. For example, there’s Zechariah chapter 9 verses 9 and 10, the first coming of Christ, coming in the triumphal entry. And of course, we know He is crucified, risen from the dead. And it’s been almost 2000 years. 

BOB: And what’s Zechariah 9:10? 

PHILIPPE: 9:10 then is about His kingdom. His everlasting kingdom. His rule and reign. 

BOB: And it’s not happening now. So it’s been like 2000 years since His triumphal entry. And there will be a 1000 year gap between the Judgment Seat of Christ and the Great White Throne Judgment. Those are two separate judgments. Now what’s interesting and people do notice this, both judgments are according to works. In fact, all through Scripture, Jesus said in Matthew 16:27, “The Son of Man will come in the glory of His Father with His angels. And then He will recompense each according to his works.” And we’re judged according our works in this life and we’ll be judged according to our works after this life. First thing we got to recognize is this expression, Final Judgment, it’s not found anywhere in the Bible. Nowhere, it’s made up. The idea that there’s one Final Judgment is contrary to Scripture. 

ANNOUNCER: We will rejoin in just a moment. But years ago, Zane Hodges wrote the Gospel Under Siege. Sadly, this is still true. And GES president Bob Wilkin has recently written its sequel. Bob’s new book, The Gospel is Still Under Siege, is a book about theological clarity on the Biblical teaching about eternal salvation. It is available now. Secure yours today at the Grace Evangelical Society’s bookstore. Find it at faithalone.org/store. That’s faithalone.org/store. Now back to today’s content.

BOB: So the Great White Throne Judgment is different than the Judgment Seat of Christ. 

PHILIPPE: And the Judgment Seat of Christ is the judgment of believers for reward. This is the judgment of unbelievers. 

BOB: And what’s it’s purpose?

PHILIPPE: According to their works for what their experience will be in the Lake of Fire, but ultimately to also to reveal that their names are now in the Lamb’s Book of Life.

BOB: Okay. And it’s pretty clear from Revelation 20:11-15, that there’s two different books. Well, there’s one group of books plural, right? Those are books of works, books of deeds, and they’re judged according to their works that are found in the books. But then there’s a separate singular book called The Book of Life, which elsewhere in the book Revelation is called the Lamb’s Book of Life. This also appears in Philippians chapter four. He talks about people whose names are in the book of life.

PHILIPPE: Yes, Clement, and Euodia, and Syntyche, along with Paul’s other brethren whose names are in the book of life, all who had believed in Christ for everlasting life. 

BOB: And Jesus alludes to this in Luke 10:20 after He sends out the seventy and He says, “Rejoice your names are written in heaven.” 

PHILIPPE: Right. Not to rejoice that demons are subject to you, but rejoice that your names are written in heaven. 

BOB: So when we look at the Great White Throne Judgment, what we find is all the dead are brought here. And presumably, this would not include believing dead. And the reason why I say that is because John 5:24, Jesus said, “He hears My word and believes in Him who sent Me,” present tense, “has everlasting life and shall not come into judgment.” That is concerning everlasting life. But “has passed from death to life,” that’s something that’s already happened. So the issue in Revelation 20:11-15 is there’s fairness with God. Now we’re not told specifically why their deeds are judged. But when we compare it with all the other Scripture in the wisdom literature, etc, it’s because God is fair, right? 

PHILIPPE: Yes. And of course, we have, you know, the statement of Jesus about,that it would be more tolerable for South and Gomorrah compared to the towns and cities who rejected the incarnate Christ, rejected Jesus. 

BOB: Yeah, Matthew 10 and Matthew 11 talk about more tolerable. So that suggests then that at the Great White Throne Judgment, part of the reason for it is to determine their recompense, right? Matthew 16, “Then He will recompense each according to his works.” That includes unbelievers. They’ll be judged at the Great White Throne Judgment to determine how much torment they have earned. Some, it would be more tolerable. Some, it would be less tolerable, but we’ve pointed out on the show before it’ll be tolerable for all. Yes. It’s not going to be the worst pain ever experienced in all of history. There’s no Bible verse that says that, but—

PHILIPPE: And it will be a fair judgment. 

BOB: TOne of the reasons they’re judged according to their works is to show this is fair. This is what you’ve earned. I think there’s a second reason. I think it’s to show they’re imperfect. Because if they’re bad, 

PHILIPPE: Yes, that they don’t merit everlasting life by their behavior. 

BOB: So I think there’s two reasons to examine the works. First of all, shows nobody’s sinless there. And secondly, what they earned. But then the reason to open the book is to see who ends up in the lake of fire and who doesn’t. And the way you get your name in the book is not stated in Revelation 20:15, but John 3:16 tells us, right? 

PHILIPPE: Yes. “Whoever believes in Me has everlasting life.” 

BOB: So it’s real simple. You get in the book. And it is possible that millennial believers will be judged at this judgment. And so verse 15 may say there are going to be some people at the Great White Throne Judgment who are in the book of life. And that would be millennial believers, possibly. Also, we might be there as witnesses. We won’t be judged. obviously, we’ve already been judged at the Judgment Seat of Christ, but we might be there as witnesses. We don’t know. 

But the thing that’s important to recognize is that unbelievers would benefit by knowing about this coming judgment. In fact, Paul alluded to it in Acts chapter 17 when he was speaking to the Athenian philosophers that God has appointed a time when He’s going to judge all men. And so unbelievers need to know that if they don’t come to faith in Christ, they’re going to be sent to the lake of fire. And they’re going to experience varying degrees of torment. Now, I say that, we don’t have to tell unbelievers that because if you look at the gospel of John, the Lord Jesus never did that in his evangelistic ministry. But it would be beneficial, I think, for unbelievers to have some knowledge of the Judgment Seat of Christ and some knowledge of the Great White Throne Judgment to know that God is just. And He’s going to recompense each according to their works. But the basis of getting into the kingdom has zero to do with works. 

PHILIPPE: Yes, it’s only believe in Jesus for everlasting life.

BOB: In Latin, it’s sola fide, by faith, alone. All right. Well, thanks so much, y’all. I hope you meditate on these issues, the Judgment Seat of Christ, the Great White Throne Judgment, because we’re to be watchful in light of Christ’a soon return. 

Until next time, let’s remember to keep grace in focus. 

ANNOUNCER: We invite you to check out our Monday, Wednesday, and Friday five minute YouTube videos at YouTube Grace Evangelical Society. You will love the content and learn a lot. Maybe you’ve got a question or comment or feedback. If so, please send us a message. Here’s our email address: it’s radio@faithalone.org, that’s radio@faithalone.org. Please make sure your question is as succinct and clear as possible, that would be a great big help.

On our next episode: the nations of the new earth and eschatology wrap up. Please join us, and in the meantime, let’s keep grace in focus.