A Courtroom of Shame

Revelation: 20:11-15

Think of the most shameful thing you have ever done. Now imagine that you are in a courtroom filled with your family, friends from church and neighbors. Across from you is the District Attorney who is ready to explain to everyone why you deserve the maximum sentence.

Before the sentencing, the judge reads the charges against you for everyone to hear; your shameful act that cannot be reversed. He asks if you have anything to say for yourself.  Through tears of shame and regret, you make your remorseful plea. The DA sneers and responds with a venomous, angry attack, casting doubt on your integrity and your value as a person.

The judge pronounces your sentence and then you, along with all the other convicted reprobates, proceed out the door of the courtroom in a chain gang, each shackled to one another. Your head hangs low. You’re unable to look at anyone in the courtroom. You know that you deserve this punishment.

¹¹ And I saw a great white throne and the one sitting on it. The earth and sky fled from his presence, but they found no place to hide. ¹² I saw the dead, both great and small, standing before God’s throne. And the books were opened, including the Book of Life. And the dead were judged according to what they had done, as recorded in the books.  NLT

In the New Living Translation, the title of this passage is “The Final Judgement”. If you or I are judged solely on our actions as described here, our fate is sealed. The “great white throne” would not be an image of hope, but of shame, judgement and condemnation.

Thankfully, Paul tells us in Romans, that is not the case; that we have hope through Jesus Christ.

 ²⁴ O wretched man that I am! Who will deliver me from this body of death? ²⁵ I thank God—through Jesus Christ our Lord… [NKJV] ¹ Therefore, there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus... [NIV]

Jesus suffered the shameful death on the cross of a common criminal so that we wouldn’t have to; so that we wouldn’t be required to face a courtroom of shame and judgement. Thanks be to God.

Consequences… Nobody Likes Them

The Second Death

Revelation 20:7-15

Consequences… nobody likes them

 My wife and I love college hockey, so even though we are not Buckeye fans, we’ve attended games for over ten years. During most of those years we parked in a secluded area where the handful of parking spots are marked - “Staff Only”; and of course we are not staff. But it’s never been a problem… until this year.

Following our most recent game, we discovered a parking ticket on our windshield. I was irate to say the least. For years we had parked in the same spot, along with other fans, and never got a ticket. My wife has bad knees, and this is the closest parking location not requiring a handicap sticker. On top of all this, it was 10pm on a Saturday night. How many OSU staff do you think were looking for a parking spot at that time?

 Consequences… nobody likes them

My NIV Study Bible has two sub-titles for this passage in Revelation, both involving severe consequences.

“The Judgement of Satan”

^10 “And the devil who deceived them was thrown into the lake of fire and brimstone, where the beast and the false prophet are also; and they will be tormented day and night forever and ever.”            NASB

“The Judgement of the Dead”

^13 “The sea gave up the dead that were in it, and death and Hades gave up the dead that were in them, and each person was judged according to what they had done. ¹⁴ Then death and Hades were thrown into the lake of fire. The lake of fire is the second death. ¹⁵ Anyone whose name was not found written in the book of life was thrown into the lake of fire.”       NIV

Consequences… nobody likes them

Thankfully, God through His gracious love, has provided a way for us to live without fear of condemnation. Read these words that Paul wrote to the Romans.

^24 “Wretched man that I am! Who will deliver me from this body of death? ²⁵ Thanks be to God through Jesus Christ our Lord!... There is therefore now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus.”              ESV