Theological Commentary: Click Here
As we come
towards the end of the book of Revelation, we see the final chapter of
judgment. There is something very clear
about this chapter. There absolutely is
a division among the people. There are
those whose name is written in the book of life and there are those whose name
is not written in the book of life.
Those who
are written in the book of life receive a special benefit. The second death will not have any power over
them. The first death – a consequence of
sin – will affect them. We all sin, we
all die. But the second death, eternal
separation from God and being thrown into the lake of fire, will not be a part
of the experience of the people whose names are written in the book of life. These people will be raised and enjoy life
with Christ for a thousand years – however long that is – before the final
judgment comes.
Then there
are those whose names are not written in the book of life. These are people who will not rise until
after the thousand-year reign with Christ comes to an end. These people will know the second death. They will be thrown into the lake of fire and
judged according to their works. Because
they do not know God and His grace, they have nothing left to be judged by except
their works!
I’m not
surprised by anything that I read here.
It is all pretty much standard Christian teaching. But I still cannot help but reflect upon the
meaning of these words. There are many
days that I go through life feeling persecuted or misunderstood because the
reality is that I’m just not like the rest of the world. I don’t find satisfaction in material
things. I don’t chase the fleeting joy
that comes through earthly treasure. While that can be hard at times, it is absolutely
worth it when it comes to an eternal perspective. I’d rather be misunderstood now and know eternity
with Christ than have any other kind of existence.
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