TIME has reached its closing scenes; mercy’s door is forever shut; the day of God’s grace has run out. Yonder behold that great white throne, in all its dazzling brilliancy, suspended in mid-air. The Judge comes forth to take His seat, and from His presence “the earth and the heaven flee away, and there is found no place for them.”
2 Peter 3:1010But the day of the Lord will come as a thief in the night; in the which the heavens shall pass away with a great noise, and the elements shall melt with fervent heat, the earth also and the works that are therein shall be burned up. (2 Peter 3:10) then comes to pass. “The day of the Lord will come as a thief in the night, in the which the heavens shall pass away with a great noise, and the elements shall melt with fervent heat; the earth also, and the works that are therein, shall be burned up.” The earth passes away because it has been made foul by man’s iniquity; the heaven passes away having been contaminated by the sins of the fallen angels, for He who sits on yonder throne is of purer eyes than to behold iniquity. Mark well that the Judge is none other than the Person of God’s own beloved Son, the Lord Jesus Christ (John 5:2222For the Father judgeth no man, but hath committed all judgment unto the Son: (John 5:22)).
Note well what the apostle John witnessed: “I saw the dead, small and great, stand before the throne; and the books were opened; and another book was opened, which is the book of life: and the dead were judged out of those things which were written in the books, according to their works. And the sea gave up the dead which were in it; and death and hell delivered up the dead which were in them; and they were judged every man according to their works. And death and hell were cast into the lake of fire. This is the second death” (Rev. 20:12-1412And I saw the dead, small and great, stand before God; and the books were opened: and another book was opened, which is the book of life: and the dead were judged out of those things which were written in the books, according to their works. 13And the sea gave up the dead which were in it; and death and hell delivered up the dead which were in them: and they were judged every man according to their works. 14And death and hell were cast into the lake of fire. This is the second death. (Revelation 20:12‑14)).
Do you inquire, who are the dead spoken of there? I reply, they are those who have already passed away, Christ rejecters, those who are now passing away, Christ rejecters, and those who shall yet pass away, Christ rejecters. Be warned, my dear unsaved reader, for you must be one of that number, if you pass from time into eternity a Christ rejecter-awful thought, but true, for the mouth of Jehovah hath spoken it, and it shall surely come to pass.
But how are death and hell (hades) cast into the lake of fire? What does it mean? It means this, death delivers up the body, and hades delivers up the soul and spirit. Body, soul, and spirit are reunited, making the complete man, who stands to be judged by the righteous Judge, and then is consigned forever to the lake of fire.
“I saw a great white throne,” the throne is great, for it is God’s final judgment of the last great day. It is white, for white is the emblem of impartial righteousness, divine and inflexible justice, that shall be administered by Him who, refused as a Saviour, is of necessity the righteous and holy Judge. See the prisoner at the bar; he stands defenseless and self-condemned. We ask the question, What crime is he guilty of? He is guilty not only of being a willful sinner, but also of the most awful crime that it is possible for man to commit, that of rejecting the Son of God. Man’s crowning sin is that of unbelief. That is a cardinal vice, which, if continued in, will forever shut heaven’s door against you, my unsaved reader (John 3:1818He that believeth on him is not condemned: but he that believeth not is condemned already, because he hath not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God. (John 3:18)).
As long as you remain a stranger to God’s saving grace, you are in great danger of being cut off in your sins, and then forever will be landed in that place of unutterable gloom and despair, where hope and mercy can never come. How awful to contemplate the doom of the Christ rejecter. What anguish will seize hold upon the soul of that one who stands at the bar, as the awful sentence of “eternal damnation” is passed upon him. Oh, my unsaved reader, I lovingly warn you, “Flee from the wrath to come,” ere it be too late.
I beseech you, without delay, flee to the only ark of refuge from the coming storm. Flee to Christ, “for there is none other name given under heaven, among men, whereby we must be saved” (Acts 4:1212Neither is there salvation in any other: for there is none other name under heaven given among men, whereby we must be saved. (Acts 4:12)).
As you read this paper, on the authority of God’s Word, you can have the blessed assurance of sins forgiven; at this very moment you can become a happy possessor of eternal life, through accepting, by faith, the Lord Jesus Christ as your own personal Saviour (Acts 13; John 5:2424Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that heareth my word, and believeth on him that sent me, hath everlasting life, and shall not come into condemnation; but is passed from death unto life. (John 5:24)).
Now, whilst the Spirit of God is pleading with you, I beseech you, close in with God’s offer of mercy, love, and grace. Set to your seal that God is true. Christ Jesus has finished the mighty work of redemption, He has satisfied the righteous claims of a holy God against sin and the sinner, so that all that is necessary for you to do is, take your true place as a lost, guilty, hell-deserving sinner, and accept the lost sinner’s Saviour, thereon you shall be eternally saved. “Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and thou shalt be saved” (Acts 16:3131And they said, Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and thou shalt be saved, and thy house. (Acts 16:31)).
How gladly does the Holy Spirit say: “If thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved. For with the heart man believeth unto righteousness; and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation” (Rom. 10:9, 109That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved. 10For with the heart man believeth unto righteousness; and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation. (Romans 10:9‑10)). If, however, you reject the only Saviour (Acts 4:1212Neither is there salvation in any other: for there is none other name under heaven given among men, whereby we must be saved. (Acts 4:12)), you must be among that number of whom it is written, “And whosoever was not found written in the book of life was cast into the lake of fire” (Rev. 20:1515And whosoever was not found written in the book of life was cast into the lake of fire. (Revelation 20:15)). Make this an impossibility by a simple act of faith.
“Trust in the blood, all-atoning,
Of Jesus the ‘mighty to save.’”
J. E.