Revelation 20:11–15 - Brought Up Again

Have you ever done something embarrassing, and you hope no one ever brings it up again? Would y’all like to hear one of mine? I can’t tell you! I don’t want it to ever be brought up again!

There are many things that we all want left in the past. Some are just trivial; but many are sinful. We’ve said, done, thought and desired things that break God’s moral law – that would offend or have offended those we know and love – and we don’t want them to ever come to light or to be brought up again.

But on the Last Day, God will revisit world history — and your history. Maybe you caught that as we read these verses moments ago.

The good news is that if you are in Christ, you don’t have to fear that day. If you found out that tomorrow, everything you’ve said, done, thought and desired would be published and publicized, you would be terrified. That is what will happen on the day Christ returns in glory.

But if you are born again, you don’t have to worry about the Last Day. Instead, you can welcome it. You can welcome it because of Jesus Christ. However, those without Christ should fear it. In fact, they should fear that more than anything else. They should fear what God will bring again. Because what God is going to bring up again is very simple: Everything and Everyone.

This is our fourth sermon from ch. 20. That’s because this chapter contains four different pictures – each with a different emphasis. Each with a different message.

Look again at verse [11] “Then I saw a great white throne and him who was seated on it.” John sees God on His throne, like a judge on his courtroom bench. John is reverent; he doesn’t say “I saw God” but refers to God as “Him.” John understood – and we should as well – that Christ accommodated the human mind in this vision to show us something we could understand. Christ revealed God in terms we can comprehend.

But notice the rest of the verse, “From his presence earth and sky fled away, and no place was found for them.” We sang earlier about the Last Day, when “the clouds be rolled back as a scroll.” The apostle Peter described the Last Day – what he called “the day of the Lord.” He wrote, “the day of the Lord will come like a thief, and then the heavens will pass away with a roar, and the heavenly bodies will be burned up and dissolved, and the earth and the works that are done on it will be exposed.” The heavens and earth will be transformed. They will be made new.

Verse [12] “And I saw the dead, great and small, standing before the throne, and books were opened.” All people who have died since Adam are there. “Then another book was opened, which is the book of life.” The book of life is distinguished from these other books. It came up back in Revelation 3, where Christ says, “The one who conquers will be clothed thus in white garments, and I will never blot his name out of the book of life. I will confess his name before my Father and before his angels.”

Revelation 13 and 17 also talk about this wonderful book, stating that those who worship “the beast” – in other words, those who are on the side of anti-Christian government and beliefs – will not have their names written in the book. And in fact – this is humbling – those whose names are in the book of life have had their names written there since the foundation of the world.

Look at what John says next. “And the dead were judged by what was written in the books, according to what they had done.” This is not the book of life but the other “books.” They contain a record of all the things that people have done. Everything. In 2 Corinthians 5, the apostle Paul writes, “We must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, so that each one may receive what is due for what he has done in the body, whether good or evil.”

There are so many books and TV shows and movies that depict things people do that are initially covered up but eventually exposed. Our investigative abilities are impressive. But still, so much remains hidden, doesn’t it? So much remains unknown.

And yet Someone knows the details of all of it. The triune God knows. He is omniscient. He’s all-knowing. Hebrews 4 says, “No creature is hidden from his sight, but all are naked and exposed to the eyes of him to whom we must give account.” God knows everything, and on the Last Day, it will all come to light and it will come to bear. There will be a great reckoning. Everything will be brought up again. You don’t want to be held accountable for all your sins. You cannot bear the weight comfortably.

But if you are in Christ, think about this? Do you try to bear the weight now? Romans 8 says, “There is therefore now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus.” There’s no final judgment for those whose sin Christ has taken upon Himself. The gospel tells us that Christ bore the weight of everything for those He came to save. Nonetheless, on the Last Day it will all be brought up again. And no one is off the hook. Look at this next part.

Verse [13] “And the sea gave up the dead who were in it.” The sea is associated with great danger in the Scriptures. Many people have died in the seas; their bodies never found. These people never received a proper burial. But they will be present at the judgment on the Last Day. The implication here is that no matter how a person died, they will be present on the Last Day. Everyone will be there. Every soul will be brought before the Creator of all things.

Also, “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.” At death, body and soul are separated. Those who are not born again enter what Scripture calls “Hades,” which for all intents and purposes is like hell, though God’s Word reveals that only the soul goes to Hades. However, on the Last Day, at the general resurrection of all people, body and soul are united again and for the unsaved, body and soul together go to eternal hell.

Notice verse [14] Then Death and Hades were thrown into the lake of fire. This is the second death, the lake of fire.” Death and hades give way to eternal hell. They are temporary in nature, whereas hell is final. Verse [15] And if anyone’s name was not found written in the book of life, he was thrown into the lake of fire.” This is the significance of the book of life. It supersedes all that is recorded in the other books.

On that Day, everyone will be brought up again, but not everyone will be treated the same. The difference will be based not on individual merit, but on the merit of the Lord Jesus Christ. Those who have Christ have their names written in His book of life.

Just as there is information that remains hidden, there have been many people who have seemingly gotten away with things and suffered no consequences for wrongdoing. They appear to have beaten the system. But that’s only temporary. The role call on the Last Day will be exhaustive. Everything and everyone. No exceptions. No exclusions. No missed details. No oversights.

It’s natural in life for us to want revenge when we are done wrong. We want people held accountable. And of course we have systems for justice in this life. But ultimately, we must entrust justice to God. In Romans 12, Paul writes, “[17] Repay no one evil for evil, but give thought to do what is honorable in the sight of all. [18] If possible, so far as it depends on you, live peaceably with all. [19] Beloved, never avenge yourselves, but leave it to the wrath of God, for it is written, “Vengeance is mine, I will repay, says the Lord.” [20] To the contrary, “if your enemy is hungry, feed him; if he is thirsty, give him something to drink; for by so doing you will heap burning coals on his head.” [21] Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good.”

Take comfort in this: on the Last Day, everyone and everything will be brought up and dealt with by God.

And as we go to the table of the Lord Jesus this morning, we see how God has dealt with the sins of His people. He put everything on Jesus – there on His cross. Christ died for everything we’ll ever do, say, think, or desire. Jesus paid it all. He died, and then God brought Him up again, raising Him to immortality. And Scripture teaches that His people were brought up with Him, just as we died with Him. And He’s going to bring us up again at the return of Christ.

Is your hope in Jesus today? Are you secure in the Lord of glory? Leave sin and follow Him. Reject the empty ways of this world and be satisfied in Him. He lives today, for He was brought up again. And when God brings all of us up again, may your name be found in the book of life!

Let’s bow together in prayer.