The Books will be opened

Sermon for Midweek of Trinity 20

Revelation 20:11-15

Over and over again in the book of Revelation, we’ve been guided through the whole New Testament period, and we’ve already reached Judgment Day several times. By the time we get to the scene described in tonight’s reading from chapter 20, the millennium is over. The devil was released for a short time, but then defeated by God Himself at His coming. All the trials and tribulations for the Church are over. All that remains is for judgment to be meted out. And that judgment is depicted for us in tonight’s reading in a series of books that are opened.

Daniel was the first to describe these books of judgment day. Here’s what it says in Daniel 7:

“I watched till thrones were put in place, And the Ancient of Days was seated; His garment was white as snow, And the hair of His head was like pure wool. His throne was a fiery flame, Its wheels a burning fire; A fiery stream issued And came forth from before Him. A thousand thousands ministered to Him; Ten thousand times ten thousand stood before Him. The court was seated, And the books were opened.

And he adds in chapter 12:

At that time Michael shall stand up, The great prince who stands watch over the sons of your people; And there shall be a time of trouble, Such as never was since there was a nation, Even to that time. And at that time your people shall be delivered, Every one who is found written in the book. And many of those who sleep in the dust of the earth shall awake, Some to everlasting life, Some to shame and everlasting contempt. Those who are wise shall shine Like the brightness of the firmament, And those who turn many to righteousness Like the stars forever and ever.

Sounds a lot like what you hear in Revelation 20, doesn’t it? Now, Daniel, like Revelation, like most prophetic writing, uses a lot of figurative language. But it’s clear what we’re talking about. On the Last Day, God will come to judge the earth. That judgment is pictured like a human courtroom, with the judge seated on his throne (we might say behind his bench).

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.

In the end, there won’t be an earth or a sky or a sun or moon or stars. Judgment day on earth will be the end of this present universe. And God’s presence will take over everything. This is very similar to how Jesus described that day in the Gospels: When the Son of Man comes in His glory, and all the holy angels with Him, then He will sit on the throne of His glory. All the nations will be gathered before Him. We’ll talk more about that text in a few weeks.

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 one 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.

As we’re told throughout Scripture, God will raise all the dead on the Last Day, so that everyone who has ever lived will stand before Him. It doesn’t matter if they were lost at sea, or burned in a fire, or buried in the ground. Just as God formed the first man out of the dust of the ground, so He will remake the bodies of those who have died. The souls of those who have been resting in heaven will have new bodies made for them. And the souls that have been suffering in hell—in Hades—will also have new bodies made for them. But for them, that won’t be a good thing. It won’t be a resurrection to life, but a resurrection to condemnation.

They were all “judged according to their works, by the things which were written in the books.” Jesus says something similar in John 5: All who are in the graves will hear His voice and come forth—those who have done good, to the resurrection of life, and those who have done evil, to the resurrection of condemnation. So the things written in the books are the complete record of a person’s works, from birth until death. And remember, “works” in the Scriptures refer not only to the things a person has done, but to the words of the mouth and the thoughts and attitudes of the heart. But God won’t have to stop and check what’s in the books for each person. He already knows all those things. And He’ll come ready to pronounce sentence.

That’s a frightening thing, by itself, because the Scriptures are very clear that “all have sinned,” and that by the works of the law no flesh will be justified in His sight, for by the law is the knowledge of sin. So how will any escape from the sins that are recorded in the books?

That’s where that other book comes in: the Book of Life. St. Paul mentions that book once in Philippians. Otherwise, it’s only mentioned here in Revelation, and it’s mentioned seven times. In some places it’s called “the Lamb’s Book of Life.” If your name is found written in that book when Christ comes again, then you go to eternal life, regardless of the sins recorded in those other books. If your name is not found in the Lamb’s Book of Life, then you go to the second death, to everlasting death in hell, regardless of any good deeds recorded in those other books.

So what is the Book of Life? Jesus spells it out in the Gospels. We heard it just a few weeks ago. He who hears My word and believes in Him who sent Me has everlasting life, and shall not come into judgment, but has passed from death into life. The names of believers in Christ, and only believers in Christ, are written in this “Book of Life.” We heard the same thing on Sunday when we looked at Jesus’ parable of the wedding banquet. Specifically, the man who wasn’t wearing the wedding garment—he was bound and tossed out in the end. As we said, you have to still be clinging to Christ in faith at the end of your life, or at the end of the world, whichever comes first, in order for your name to be found there when Christ returns. What a comfort for believers! And what a terror for unbelievers! And, also, what an important reminder for believers in Christ! There’s no such thing in Scripture as “once saved, always saved.” Through faith in Christ your name is currently written in the Book of Life. But it can be blotted out, if you choose to neglect the Means of Grace, choose to cling impenitently to sin. And so we pray that God will sustain and preserve us in the faith until the end! And we diligently use the Means of Grace as God’s tool for preserving us.

So, if it’s the Book of Life that actually determines who ends up in heaven and who doesn’t, what’s the point of the other books?

Well, for the unbelievers, it’s the reason why they’re condemned. The books reveal that they have not loved the Lord God will all their hearts and have not loved their neighbor as themselves. Those are the conditions set by God’s law for gaining life and for escaping condemnation. The Gospel offers another way to be saved, but unbelievers didn’t take that way, so they have to answer according to the Law. And the books will reveal just how well-deserved is the condemnation that will be pronounced upon them.

For believers, the books have a purpose, too. The Book of Life determines their entrance into heaven. So the sins recorded in the other books are forgiven. And the good works recorded there, good works that God Himself called them to do and worked in them to accomplish—they will be recognized by God, and rewarded. And God will say, “Well done, good and faithful servant!”

So look forward to the day when the books are opened! It will be a very good day for believers in Christ. Just make sure you’re doing the things God gives you to do to remain faithful until that day. Stay close to Christ! And seek all your certainty of salvation in Him alone! Amen.