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 Sermon > Official Service |
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Title |
Revelation Lectures(85) |
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Speaker |
Rev. Jaerock Lee |
Bible |
Revelation20:11-21:1 |
Date |
2008-12-19 |
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Scripture
Revelation 20:11-15
[11] Then I saw a great white throne and Him who sat upon it, from whose presence earth and heaven fled away, and no place was found for them.
[12] And I saw the dead, the great and the small, standing before the throne, and books were opened; and another book was opened, which is the book of life; and the dead were judged from the things which were written in the books, according to their deeds.
[13] And the sea gave up the dead which were in it, and death and Hades gave up the dead which were in them; and they were judged, every one of them according to their deeds.
[14] Then death and Hades were thrown into the lake of fire This is the second death, the lake of fire.
[15] And if anyone's name was not found written in the book of life, he was thrown into the lake of fire.
Revelation 21:1
[1] Then I saw a new heaven and a new earth; for the first heaven and the first earth passed away, and there is no longer any sea.
Dear brothers and sisters in Christ.
In the last lecture, I explained the Great White Throne Judgment based on the scripture.
Supplementing what is written in the scripture, I will give you a more detailed explanation so that you can get a little better general idea about it.
Let's look at the scene of judgment; with the throne of God the Trinity in the center, there is a jury who helps in the judgment.
In front of the Throne there are the books and the Book of Life, there is also a broad sea of glass that is seen.
All the deeds of those who are to be judged are recorded in the books, and the names of the saved souls are written in the Book of Life.
Originally, the sea of glass is the sea of heaven, which is filled with the water of the river of life.
It is so clean and clear that you can even see the beautiful fish play in it.
However, this sea appears here before the Throne in the 1st heaven, and it is used as a tool for the Judgment.
It plays a role like a screen that shows every deed of all men.
Before the Throne of God, there are countless souls who had been cultivated on earth since Adam committed sin and they are waiting for the Judgment.
Matthew 25:33 explains this Final Judgment, saying, "He will put the sheep on His right, and the goats on the left."
"The sheep" refers to the righteous who are saved, and "the goats," to the unsaved.
Therefore, the saved souls stand on the right side of the Throne of God, and those unsaved souls, on the left side.
Of course, as I explained in the last lecture, not all the souls who are to be judged come before the Throne in the 1st heaven.
Most of the saved souls are in the 1st heaven, but those souls who are in the Upper Grave, in Hades, and those in the 2nd heaven stay where they are.
I explained that they just feel as if they were all in the same space because God opens many spaces as one.
When the spiritual space opens, those who are in Hades also feel the dignity and authority of God's Throne in the 1st heaven as if they stood before the Throne.
Those souls who are in the Garden of Eden as well as some souls who are already receiving punishment in Hell can watch the Judgment as the spaces are open.
Now, those who come to the Throne to receive Judgment are wearing a certain body of their own.
Those saved souls wear the resurrected body, but those unsaved souls in a sense will wear their own body to receive judgment.
For your understanding, Let me briefly tell you about the different bodies in different spaces.
When a man is cultivated on the earth, he is in the body of the 1st heaven which is also same for you and all men.
And when a person's life span is over on this earth, his spirit comes out of his physical body as if taking off this body like clothing.
Therefore, while he stays in the Upper Grave, or in the waiting place in Paradise, he is in the form of spirit itself. A person's spirit then puts on the resurrected body when the Wedding Banquet begins.
This resurrected body is adequate for the space of the 2nd heaven. But, people will continue wearing this resurrected body in the 1st heaven during the Millennium Kingdom.
Even though the resurrected body is a spiritual body, it's not a heavenly body so the people of the flesh can see and touch it.
Finally, after the Final Judgment, a person will then be able to wear the heavenly body which is appropriate for heaven.
This heavenly body is the body with rewards embedded. Each individual's light, scent, and glory are different from one another.
Now, when an unsaved man dies and goes to Hades (the Lower Grave), he stays there as in the form of spirit without the physical body.
Yet, when he falls down to Hell after the Judgment, he puts on the body that is adequate for the space of hell.
This body is imperishable, and it doesn't vanish or become extinct; while being burned in fire and sulfur it suffers and feels the torture of Hell.
God the Trinity Who sit on the Throne to give judgment also puts on a form.
The Final Judgment is not managed by God the Father alone.
Of course the Judge is God the Father, but the Lord and the Holy Spirit also have the authority to judge.
John 5:27 says, "He gave Him authority to execute judgment, because He is the Son of Man," and this is telling us that the Lord has the authority to pass judgment.
In addition, John 16:8 says, "And He, when He comes, will convict the world concerning sin and righteousness and judgment."
The Holy Spirit is also given the authority of judgment.
The Lord and the Holy Spirit ensures, from the perspective of the souls, that the judgment of God the Father is true.
The Lord came to this earth in the form of a man, and He Himself experienced everything an individual experiences.
The Holy Spirit also knows the hearts of people so well that He speaks for them with great mercy and kindness.
First, the saved souls are measured against the standard of the nine fruits of the Holy Spirit, the Beatitudes, and the Chapter of Love and then God the Father passes judgment.
And then He proclaims where the person will dwell forever, and how great his reward is.
Then, the Lord and the Holy Spirit ensures from the perspective of those who are cultivated that His judgment is true.
However, this is not the end of the Judgment. There is a process of confirmation.
Elijah, Enoch, Abraham and Moses, who are the highest ranking individuals among the people of heaven, assist God in the Final Judgment.
As I already explained in the Heaven sermon series, these four are excluded from the Judgment.
Their holiness and perfection is already acknowledged, and their dwelling places and rewards were given before the Final Judgment, and they have already put on the heavenly body.
Among the four, Elijah and Enoch don't speak much, but they become the standards of the Judgment by being the best fruit of Human Cultivation.
And Abraham, the Father of faith, assists the Judgment in the field of faith; so does Moses in the field of the Law.
In addition to them, there are the members of the jury.
The 24 Elders of heaven are the jury of the Great White Throne Judgment.
I already explained to you who these 24 Elders are in the 4th Chapter of Revelation.
Briefly, among those who enter new Jerusalem, they are those who are so outstanding in a certain field that they can become the standard of Judgment.
They are those who accomplished the best heart like a jewel in the fields of faith, hope, love, faithfulness, goodness, truth, honesty, and integrity.
Before they stand in the seat of jury, they are the first to receive the Judgment ahead of all others.
The very first one who stands before the Judgment is Apostle Paul who is the highest among the 24 Elders.
When Apostle Paul stands before the Judgment, his life is revealed in great detail before the eyes of the all souls.
How much he loved the Lord, and how he overcame the numerous persecutions; his faith, faithfulness, and everything he achieved are revealed.
Then, God the Trinity and the 4 prophets ensure that all is true, and thus proper glory and rewards are given.
The remaining 24 Elders stand in turn before the Judgment and receive their own rewards.
For your information, in addition to these 24 Elders, there are a few more people who receive the Reward Judgment before the Great White Throne Judgment takes place.
Among them are Mary Magdalene, and Virgin Mary who are the highest among the women.
When they stand before the Judgment, all is revealed; how perfect and true their love for the Lord was.
Their standing before the Judgment itself becomes a pleasure for God who accomplished the Human Cultivation, and they receive even greater rewards over their original rewards.
Now, what kind of a jury role will the 24 Elders play?
In this world, the guiltiness of the defendant is decided according to the majority rule of the jury, but it is not so in the Great White Throne Judgment.
The 24 Elders become the standards of the Judgment, and they give assurance to the perfect Judgment of God.
For example, when there stands a man who was faithful in his love for God with a passionate heart, he can be judged in view of the Apostle Paul.
After measuring how valuable and precious his faithfulness was, proper rewards are given to him.
On the contrary, let's say there is a man who used to believe in God, but left the Lord due to persecution, and lived his life the way other worldly people lived theirs.
He may try to defend his situation at the judgment.
He may say, "Because of severe persecutions, I couldn't keep my faith."
Then, Apostle Peter who took the cross upside down, or Daniel who didn't compromise but went into the lions' den will stand forth.
When they explain the situation they overcame and talk about their faith, he will be able to do nothing but remain silent.
He will not be able to make any excuses for the fact that he betrayed the Lord.
It is in this way that the Great White Throne Judgment is perfectly managed by God the Trinity, who is the Judge, together with the four prophets and the 24 Elders.
If God were to judge alone, of course the judgment would be perfect and precise.
However, by allowing this many people to confirm His judgment, every soul is being judged all the more carefully.
Now, as the actual Final Judgment begins, those unsaved souls receive judgment first.
Sinners cannot stand before the Holy God and face Him.
Therefore, those receiving punishment in the Hades, the waiting place for Hell, will remain there to receive judgment.
Those whose sin is heavier receive judgment first, and the punishment -whether it is the Lake of Fire or the Lake of Sulfur - is decided.
Once the unsaved souls have been judged first, and then the saved souls receive judgment.
However, the judgment for those who are saved by faith is NOT for punishment.
It is to decide their dwelling place and rewards. So this is the "Reward Judgment."
It is to fulfill what the Bible says in Revelation 22:12, which reads, "Behold, I am coming quickly, and My reward is with Me, to render to every man according to what he has done."
This Reward Judgment takes place in a atmosphere of tranquility.
In the case of saved souls, the judgment is made for those whose measure of faith and rewards are greater first.
When all the judgments are made, they go to their own dwelling place in heaven all at the same time.
Dear brothers and sisters in Christ.
Apostle John saw the miserable 7 Year Great Tribulation, and he also witnessed the Final Judgment which ends the Cultivation of man.
And now, he finally sees heaven.
Revelation 21:1 says, "Then I saw a new heaven and a new earth; for the first heaven and the first earth passed away, and there is no longer any sea."
Here, "the first heaven and the first earth passed away" means that the space of the 1st heaven is in no longer needed.
As explained in the last lecture, the 1st heaven is the space created for the Human Cultivation. Since the Cultivation is over, it is abrogated.
What it means is that, even though the space doesn't disappear, it is no longer managed by the power of God and that no life form flourishes there any longer.
The people of the 3rd heaven will not go to the 1st heaven, either.
Once the Final Judgment is over, a dwelling place is decided for each soul, and they will live in that place forever.
Now, let's briefly take a look into each space after the Final Judgment.
In the 3rd heaven, there is Heaven, and saved souls enter there.
However, among the saved souls, those who died in the mother's womb will live not in Heaven, but in the Upper Grave.
In the 2nd heaven, there is the Garden of Eden, and those descendants of Adam who are not cultivated will live there as they have.
Originally in the 2nd heaven, there were the area of light and there was the area of darkness where the evil spirits ruled.
After the Judgment, however, the evil spirits are confined in the Abyss. Therefore, the area of darkness disappears, and only the area of light remains.
In the 1st heaven, as explained earlier, God shuts its door, and it remains as an unused pace.
Somewhat different from the 1st, 2nd, and 3rd heavens, there is a space of Hell.
Among the cultivated souls, unsaved souls remain in the Lake of Fire or the Lake of Sulfur forever.
There is an exception however, those fetuses or children who are not saved will stay in Hades.
The Hades after the Final Judgment will be explained in the Hell sermon.
And lastly, there is the Abyss, the deepest place in Hell, where the evil spirits are confined.
Dear brothers and sisters in Christ.
Once the dwelling place is decided, there is almost no interchange between different spaces.
The people in the 3rd heaven, the citizens of heaven, have no reason go to the 1st heaven. Neither do the people of 2nd heaven to the 3rd heaven.
Of course, there are some exceptions.
For example, on a special occasion, God may send for the people of the 2nd heaven to show them to the people of t he 3rd heaven.
Then, some of the leaders in the 2nd heaven can come to the 3rd heaven. However, the difference between each of the spaces is so huge that it doesn't occur often.
Now, before we delve into heaven, let's briefly take a look at the life in the Upper Grave and the Garden of Eden.
People have lived peaceful lives in the Garden of Eden since the first man, Adam.
After Adam was banished and during the time when the Human Cultivation was in progress in the 1st heaven, the descendants of Adam have lived the way they used to live.
Since sin didn't come into them, they don't need to put on clothes to hide the shame of nakedness.
Even though they don't put on clothes, however, it doesn't mean that they live primitive lives.
As I explained in the Genesis Lecture, they enjoy a rather highly developed civilization which cannot be compared to that of this world.
They enjoy a beautiful natural environment and have a civilization that they have developed with their wisdom; they have given birth to their descendants and prospered.
Even after the Final Judgment, they continue to live this way of life without change.
Now, the life in the Upper Grave has many restrictions both in terms of space and time, when compared to the life in either Heaven or the Garden of Eden.
The saints in Heaven, especially in New Jerusalem, can enjoy the life in Heaven to the fullest.
They can go wherever they desire to go from Paradise to New Jerusalem, and they can do whatever they want to do in the law of the justice.
They can arrange and enjoy a feast, inviting their beloved people.
They can go to talk with prophets they love. They fully enjoy happiness, peace, and prosperity.
Now, the lower the dwelling place in heaven, the more restrictions apply to the freedom.
For example, the people in the 2nd Kingdom of Heaven can freely go to from Paradise to the 1st and 2nd Heavenly Kingdoms, but they can go to the 3rd kingdom or New Jerusalem only by permission.
The people of Paradise can enjoy what is given to them in the space of Paradise.
Also the people in the Garden of Eden, the 2nd Heaven, live the way they desire to live.
They sleep and they rest whenever they want to. If they want to give birth to a child, they can, but if they don't want children, none will be born.
Compared to the Garden of Eden or Heaven, the Upper Grave has the most restrictions.
As I told you, the souls in the Upper Grave are those who died in the wombs of their mothers.
They stay in the Upper Grave as in the form as they die, and they also put on a body when the saints resurrect.
Unlike the resurrected body, it grows up instantly from the shape as they died, and when it reaches a certain age, they don't grow any more.
Even though their body grows to have a shape of a grown-up man, their mental status is like that of a fetus.
Therefore, once the body's grown up, they should learn the knowledge of the spirit as if a picture is painted on a new white paper.
They come to know God the Trinity, and they also learn about the history of human beings, the Human Cultivation, heaven and other spaces, and so on.
They learn this knowledge all together and they rest together; they do things as in a group.
Unlike the souls in the 3rd heaven, they don't travel anywhere, nor do they enjoy their own individual time; they live according to the flow of the fixed time.
For example, when a college student registers for classes, she can make her own schedule.
She can freely decide the classes that she wants to listen to, or others that she doesn't.
But elementary students are given a schedule fixed by the school, and they should attend the classes that are fixed.
It is the same in the Upper Grave.
They live according to the fixed schedule; they are not as free as in heaven.
However, it doesn't mean that their life is hard or unfortunate.
In their own way, they live a peaceful and easy life; they just can't enjoy more than that.
In the next lecture, we will open Heaven's door, enter and take a look around!
Dear brothers and sisters in Christ.
Those saved souls who died before us are staying in the Waiting Place of Heaven, waiting for the day when they go to their own dwelling place.
Those who will enter New Jerusalem are waiting in the waiting place of New Jerusalem, and others in the waiting place of Paradise.
However, I don't mean that they are waiting there in boredom. They learn various knowledge of the spirit, and they also do many things.
Among your relatives or family, those who died before you are curious about their family or the brothers or sisters in faith, while resting there.
When they hear good news, they also rejoice, and they cheer for us and pray for us.
Let me introduce a confession made by one of those who will enter New Jerusalem.
"I give thanks for the grace to allow me to come to this glorious place and to allow me go to a beautiful place soon.
Even though I'm not in my house in New Jerusalem, I give thanks for allowing me to stay in this place so that I can hear the voice of the shepherd and see the face of the shepherd, and to enjoy myself here.
I give thanks for not forgetting me but remembering me so that I can wait with joy and thanks in a hope to see him again.
I also give thanks for remembering me and calling on me from time to time so that I can see the faces of my beloved.
When you call my name, I overflow with emotion and glory.
Whenever you call my name, I receive so much grace and love, and I receive much praise and envy from many.
Here in this Waiting Place of Heaven, I long for the place that I will receive after all is done, and I also pray for what my shepherd will accomplish.
I always pray for my shepherd.
I pray for the brothers and sisters in faith, and I pray for the poor souls, and I also pray for the will of the shepherd may be accomplished.
What you have worried in your heart, and what you've mourned for always for the kingdom of God, I also have them in my heart and pray for them.
In this peace and happiness, I look up to my shepherd with my loving heart, and I remember the grace of my shepherd.
I look forward to the coming of my shepherd.
While I'm waiting until I see my shepherd, I will pray for my shepherd with joy and thanks.
I truly long for the day when you accomplish everything in the will of God the Father and when we together rejoice over the fruit."
When the time comes, those who are waiting in the waiting place and you and I will stand before the Throne of God.
How splendid will it be when such a glorious Throne of God the Creator, those who will be jurors in dignity, and those who have been born since the Creation gather all together?
On that day when you stand before the Throne of God, what kind of heart do you wish to have?
I hope you will stand before the Throne with a longing heart to enter heaven soon in joy and peace, not in fear and regret.
The dwelling place and rewards that are once decided in the Great White Throne Judgment will never change.
In addition, once you enter heaven, there are no more chances to pile up rewards.
I hope you will make the best use of the time given in this earth so that you can advance to a better dwelling place and pile up more rewards.
By doing so, may you enjoy the greatest happiness in New Jerusalem forever, in the name of the Lord, Jesus Christ, I pray!
[Amen] |
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