Overview
In the third Anchor of the Soul module, Rev. Rico Magnelli explains why humanity needs salvation, how the Christian is justified through the completed work of Jesus Christ, and how Scripture presents eternal life, resurrection, judgment, and the final restoration of God’s creation. The teaching distinguishes the Christian’s completed justification from the future closure described for the rest of humanity and the angelic realm.
Transcript
Why Humanity Needs Salvation
Well, God bless you and welcome back. And we’re going to be moving into now our third module on the course on the anchor of the soul. Please turn to Romans chapter 5. We’re going to talk about salvation and eternal life, very important topics.
Salvation is to be rescued from the result of any future punishment due to judgment. We’re saved from the wrath to come. Now salvation has an ongoing impact both now and when people live it.
They live their salvation today and it results in eternal life. Why do we need salvation anyway? And that’s a great question. And we’re going to see the answer to this in Romans chapter 5 verse 12.
In Romans 5 verse 12 we read, Wherefore, as by one man sin entered into the world and death by sin, and so death passed upon all men, for that all have sinned. The reference to all have sinned is talking about the sin of Adam that was passed on from generation to generation. Not that we were there at the time when Adam disobeyed God, but it applied to all humans born into this world following Adam and Eve.
And that sin, that disobedience resulted in death. And that’s why we need salvation. After Adam disobeyed God, the way to eternal life was blocked, represented in the Word of God by the tree of life.
And that access to God became limited, like you see throughout the Old Testament. But God promised the way and access would be open again. Christ, our Lord and Savior, became the way, the truth and the life, and restored full access to God.
Let’s talk a second about the tree of life, representing eternal life. In Genesis 324, man was removed from his ideal arrangement with God and no longer had access to what the Bible refers to as the tree of life. The way of the tree of life was blocked.
Man was removed from that ideal arrangement. Then with the coming of Jesus Christ, that way became open, and it will reach its full maturity in the future as we enjoy in the Christian community, we enjoy those new bodies that we will receive. So in Genesis 324, the way to the tree of life was not accessible anymore.
But in Revelation 22, too, man is restored again to an ideal arrangement with God, but this time it is permanent, permanent, and access to the tree of life is open forever. How beautiful that really is for us to understand. Look at Romans chapter 5. Now let’s look at verse 8. We’ve had this before, but God commendeth his love toward us in that while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.
So in other words, we didn’t have to become good for God to give us eternal life. We just had to accept Jesus Christ. Much more than being now justified by his blood, we shall be saved from the wrath through him.
Justified and Saved by Grace
See, to be justified is to be declared innocent, therefore saved from the wrath to come. Look at the book of Ephesians, the book of Ephesians chapter 2. As I mentioned, salvation is to be rescued from the result of any future punishment due to judgment. And right now we’re on the topic of the Christian.
For the Christian, closure has been completed because we’ve been justified. We’ve already been adjudicated in God’s court, if you will. And we’ve been given eternal life, declared innocent from Adam’s transgression.
So there’s no more judgment necessary for the Christian because God has justified us. He’s declared us innocent of Adam’s disobedience through the work of Christ. And that is so important to understand, and it will liberate the soul of God’s people.
See, we’ve already had our day in court. The gavel has been hit by God. It’s complete.
The verdict has been delivered by God and recorded in Scripture for all to read. And let’s read about it here in Ephesians chapter 2. We were dead in sins, but in Ephesians chapter 2, verse 4, we read, But God, who is rich in mercy for His great love wherewith He loved us, even when we were dead in sins because of Adam, hath quickened or made us alive together with Christ. By grace ye are saved.
It’s nothing that we did to save us. It was what Jesus Christ did. And hath raised us up together and made us sit together in heavenly places in Christ Jesus.
So the Christian believer is seated at the right hand of the throne of God with Jesus Christ. And then we will fully realize the impact of that new birth in the future at the day of Christ. It goes on to say that in the ages to come He might show the exceeding riches of His grace in His kindness toward us through Christ Jesus.
For by grace are you saved through faith. Faith is a way of describing our adherence, our reliance, our binding ourselves to the work of Jesus Christ. The faith of Jesus Christ is what we bind ourselves to and have great confidence and reliance upon.
So for by grace are you saved through faith, and that not of yourselves. We didn’t do it. God did it for us in Christ.
It is the gift of God, not of works, lest any man should boast. Wow. Wow.
This is grace. This is unmerited favor from God. See, faith is to believe God.
And you see this throughout the Bible. There’s faith. Our faith is a little bit unique because our faith is the faith of Jesus Christ.
It says in Romans 10, 8, and 9, but what saith it? The word is nigh thee, even in thy mouth and in thy heart. That is the word of faith, which we preach, that 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. That’s the salvation for the Christian.
We accept the work of Christ. And at times, that’s very difficult for people because they know that perhaps they’ve done some things that weren’t right, and those things continue to haunt them. Their past continues to come up on a daily basis.
But God doesn’t want that for you and for me. He wants us to put those things aside and move forward as if we are innocent in Christ Jesus. Not that we never do anything wrong, but I’m talking about the innocence of the responsibility of what Adam did.
That has been resolved. It says in Galatians 2, 16, knowing that a man is not justified by the works of the law, but by the faith of Jesus Christ. That faith is when Jesus believed God to fulfill the redemption of mankind.
We receive that faith. It goes on to say, even we have believed in Jesus Christ, that we might be justified, declared innocent, by the faith of Christ and not by the works of the law. For by the works of the law shall no flesh be justified.
We’ve been justified, declared innocent, by the faith of Jesus Christ. That’s why we have eternal life abiding within us. It’s beautiful.
The Just Shall Keep On Living by Faith
There’s another set of scriptures I want to show you. Romans 1, 16 and 17. And this is a key point to understand how this module is going to unfold when it comes to salvation and eternal life.
It talks about those of faith keep on living through faith. And for us, we read in Romans 1, 16 and 17, Paul writes, for I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ. For it is the power of God unto salvation to everyone that believeth, to the Jew or Judean first, and also to the Greek or the Gentile.
So it covers everybody who wants it. For therein is the righteousness of God revealed. Righteousness is just to be right with God.
From faith to faith, as it is written, the just shall live or keep on living by faith. That is an amazing truth. See, the faith to faith is, the first faith is referring to believing God, and the second faith is the faith of Jesus Christ.
We accept what Jesus Christ accomplished. And this phrase, the just shall live by faith, actually means to keep on living, to keep on living. And it’s referring to eternal life.
That’s right. See, for the Christian believer, we have closure, because we’re justified. We’ve been adjudicated by God already and declared innocent.
Justice and Closure for Humanity
But for the rest of the world, they need closure. Learning from God about the fate of the rest of humanity since the dawn of man is not only our privilege, but it’s also part of our hope. He wants us to understand.
See, part of our godly expectation of the future is knowing there will be justice for all humanity, regardless of race or religion, because God judges the heart and the motives of man. There’s plenty of God’s mercy to go around. There will also be justice upon the devil, Satan, and his fallen angels, and the God rejecting wicked.
That is going to happen in the future. And the book of Revelation and related scriptures help to describe this justice and this closure for the rest of humanity. Since justice and closure is complete for the Christian, we do not see Christians prominently mentioned in many of the accounts of the future, including the book of Revelation.
That is terrific to understand. That’s why you don’t see Christians prominently emphasized in these future revelations, because the Christian has already had closure. We’ve been justified already.
The book of Revelation poses some challenging understanding, and I can understand, because what it specifically deals with is bringing closure and the final reckoning of all accounts for the rest of humanity and the angelic realm. You’re not in there exactly. You and I, it’s more for the rest of humanity.
And when God opens and closes the books, there’ll be no loose ends or unresolved issues. That will continue into eternity. Nothing.
Everything will be closed out. Remember this slide, 1, 2, and 3, the last days in which we are in, the conclusion of the last days in the Christian age will happen at the day of Christ, the gathering together of the church, or what many call the rapture. Following that begins the day of the Lord, which is a period of time.
And that’s where the wrath is executed and administered. Now, in this module of the Anchor of the Soul, we’re going to focus in on 4, 5, and 6. We want to answer a question that many people have. What happens to people who don’t per se believe God, who don’t have faith, but are what many people would call good people? That is a great question.
And the answers reveal the magnitude of God’s compassion, is really what we see. We see the expansiveness of His mercy as we delve into the answers to this question. We will see the goodness and mercy of God still provides a way forward for these people.
Faith and Eternal Life Through the Ages
Look at Hebrews chapter 11, please. Now, first, let’s consider those who believed God through the ages. For them who have bound themselves to God, He provides faith.
When people bind themselves to God, what God has told them, either directly or via the scripture, faith, simply put, is to believe God, to bind oneself to God’s Word, written or spoken. Whenever the Bible refers to faith, it is something man has with God. Notice I emphasized with, because man cannot have faith on his own.
God has to be involved. Man cannot have faith without God. Why is that? Because faith as described in the Bible must always include God.
Why is this true? Because God must provide or offer man something to believe and bind himself to and rely on and trust in. Once God provides something for man to believe, like when He told people that He was going to send the Messiah, that was something provided by God, and then people either believed it or they didn’t believe it. And that would determine whether they had faith or not.
You see that? So people believe things all the time, but they may not be from God. That does not constitute biblically what faith is. People believe all sorts of things, but that doesn’t mean that that is faith.
Faith must first be initiated, in a manner of speaking, by God. He must provide something for man to believe. Now, here in Hebrews chapter 11, we see this in verse 6, But without faith, it is impossible to please Him.
Talking about God. For he that cometh to God must believe that He is. You see that? We have to believe that He is when you approach Him, and that He is a rewarder of them that diligently seek Him.
Those that seek God through faith are rewarded with eternal life. Look at the previous chapter. Hebrews chapter 10, verse 37.
For yet a little while, and he that shall come will come, talking about Christ, and will not tarry. Then there’s this phrase that we saw in Romans chapter 1. Now the just shall live by faith, which means to continue to keep living. The just will continue to keep living.
Why is that? It’s because they had faith. They believed God, and God noted that. And you’ll see why, when we get to the first resurrection, why this is so important.
See, the just shall live by faith. Hebrews 10, 38. In the Greek grammatical construction, the word live here is in the progressive future.
And it can be rendered, keep on living. Once resurrected, they’ll keep on living. That’s what eternal life is.
Now for the Christian, at the day of Christ, we’re not actually resurrected, we’re actually changed. Mortal to immortal, corruptible to incorruptible. So it’s a little different, like I mentioned.
Look at chapter 11 of the book of Hebrews. I want to point out some things about people of faith before Christ came. In Hebrews chapter 11, we see in verse 4, by faith, Abel.
See that? By faith, Abel. Abel was the second son of Adam and Eve. Cain was the first, Abel was the second.
By faith, Abel. Then in verse 5, it says, by faith, Enoch. Verse 7 says, by faith, Noah.
Verse 8, by faith, Abraham. And it goes on and on. What’s so interesting is that they had a vision of the future by faith.
They believed that God had provided for them a way to that tree of life, a way to live eternally. Look at verse 10 of Hebrews. 11, talking about Abraham.
For he looked for a city which hath foundations, whose builder and maker is God. See, he was talking, he was looking for a future reality. And that is what inspired him to believe God.
And God rewarded him for that. Look at verse 13 of Hebrews 11. Verse 13, talking about all the people mentioned there in Hebrews 11.
It says, these all died in what? They died in faith. They died in faith because they anticipated and expected something in the future. They all died in faith, not having received the promises because Christ hadn’t come yet, but having seen them afar off, the future, and were persuaded of them, that’s their faith, and embraced them and confessed that they were strangers and pilgrims on the earth.
They knew that they were just passing through this life and looked forward to the future. For they that say such things declare plainly that they seek a country or a homeland. That is that permanent place of residency with God.
It’s beautiful. Absolutely fantastic. See, the city they were looking for is the heavenly Jerusalem noted in the book of Revelation.
And let’s stop there and just think about this for a second. That city that’s mentioned in the book of Revelation is the one that God builds, not man builds, God builds. And what it represents is the ideal, perfect and eternal habitation or dwelling place where God and man can interact, where God and man can socialize and commune and share together.
That’s what it represents. For our understanding, it probably isn’t a city as we know cities today, but it represents that ideal arrangement for living together with God, with direct access to God and Christ forever. Just fantastic.
Eternal Life Offered Through Jesus Christ
And this chapter 11 and following is referring to those people prior to Christ that had faith, and they will enjoy that future reality. Now, let’s consider eternal life by faith offered while Christ was on earth. Look at Luke.
Eternal life by faith offered while Christ was on earth. This is prior to the Christian age. But I want to point these things out because they’re clear in the scripture.
In Luke 23 is the record of Jesus on the cross. While he’s crucified, there’s an individual that’s crucified with him. The Bible refers to him as a malefactor, an evildoer.
And he petitions Christ for salvation. And I want you to see what Christ says to him in chapter 23 of Luke in verse 40. But the other answering rebuked him, saying, Does not thou fear God, seeing thou art in the same condemnation? This malefactor is rebuking the other individual that’s being crucified with Christ, who is railing on Jesus.
And he says, you shouldn’t do that. Don’t you respect God? Verse 41. And we indeed justly, he says, for we receive the due reward of our deeds.
But this man, referring to Jesus Christ, has done nothing amiss. He knew Jesus was innocent. This is a man that’s dying.
He’s drawing his last breath. He just happened to be dying next to Jesus Christ, who was also about to die. And he said unto Jesus, Lord, look at the respect.
He knew who Jesus was. He wouldn’t have called him that. Remember me when thou comest into thy kingdom.
And that’s referring to the thousand year reign. Watch this. And Jesus said unto him, Verily I say unto thee today, right now thou shalt be with me in paradise.
That man, whatever his name is, will be resurrected and enjoy that kingdom and reigning with Christ. Just absolutely spectacular. Look at the Gospel of John.
Let’s look at another one. Now, here in the Gospel of John, the friend of Jesus, Lazarus, has died. And his sisters, Lazarus’ sisters, Mary and Martha, they seek Jesus out in this very challenging situation.
And there’s an exchange here that’s very significant with Jesus and Martha. And I want to point this out in light of understanding how eternal life by faith was offered while Christ was on earth. We saw it, how it was before Christ came.
And now we’re looking at while Christ was on earth. So in John chapter 11, let’s take a look at verse 23 and read this. Jesus saith unto her, Thy brother shall rise again.
At this point, Lazarus is dead. Martha saith unto him, I know that he will rise again in the resurrection at the last day. What is this resurrection referring to? This resurrection is referring to the first resurrection.
And that first resurrection is for people of faith. That’s right. Now, it doesn’t include you and me because we’ve already been changed.
We’ve already received our eternal life, the day of Christ. Watch this. Jesus said unto her, I am the resurrection.
Wow. And the life. He that believeth in me, though he were dead, yet shall he live.
There’s faith. What he’s explaining is if you believe in me, Jesus is telling her, you will live. You shall continually live.
That’s right. Eternal life. And whosoever liveth and believeth in me shall never die.
He’s talking about that in the future, they will not need to go through the second death. They will live on and on. Believest thou this? And look at what she responds.
She saith unto him, Yea, Lord, I believe thou art the Christ, the Son of God, which hath come into the world. See, how did she know that if God didn’t provide that information? Do you see faith right here? And it’s talking about the resurrection. Yet shall he live.
Faith During the Day of the Lord
That’s another progressive future. Keep on living. Let’s consider eternal life by faith during the day of the Lord, after we’ve been gathered together, after the rapture, after the gathering together of the church.
Eternal life by faith during the day of the Lord. Here, Revelation 14, 12 in the Amplified, this is during the day of the Lord. It reads, Here is encouragement for the steadfast endurance of the saints, God’s people, those who habitually keep God’s commandments and their faith in Jesus.
So there is faith even after the gathering together of the church, during the day of the Lord. Those will be very challenging days for God’s people, because they will be martyred. Very challenging, but those days will not last for a long time.
The Timeline of Resurrection and Judgment
Let’s look at this timeline again. The last days are where we are right now. The conclusion of the last days is the day of Christ.
The gathering together of the church, the rapture, so-called. Then begins the day of the Lord, which is a period of time. Following the day of the Lord is what’s called Christ’s thousand-year reign.
During this thousand-year reign, I labeled it the kingdom of heaven because it’s the conclusion of what Jesus Christ had promised, like to the malefactor, you will reign with me. The malefactor says when you come into your kingdom, that’s what this thousand-year reign is referring to. What initiates this is the first resurrection for those of faith.
Since the time of Abel, and those throughout the Old Testament, during the time of Christ, before the day of Pentecost and the Christian age, and then following the Christian age. Those are those who will be resurrected in this first resurrection. And it notes for us that there’ll be some that will be given thrones and authority to judge, given to them to live and to reign with Christ.
It doesn’t say they’re judged, it just says they will be given authority to judge. And then following this thousand-year reign, the devil will be released to deceive and gather Gog and Magog, which many believe is just a reference to east and west, for the third and final rebellion and battle. Wow.
This starts to put things in a proper frame. Now, to clarify the future for us, and I would encourage you to take your time and read the we point this out. We put this on the slide this way to show you that there’s a difference between the first resurrection, as recorded in Revelation 20, verses 4 through 6, and the great white throne judgment of Revelation 20, verses 11 and 12.
In Revelation 20, verses 4 through 6, it reads, And I saw thrones, John the Apostle writes, in what God showed him in terms of the future, and they sat upon them, and judgment was given unto them. It doesn’t say they’re judged, it says that judgment was given unto them. And I saw the souls of them that were beheaded for the witness of Jesus, and for the word of God, and which had not worshiped the beast, that’s the Antichrist, that’s during that time period of the future, neither his image, neither had received his mark upon their foreheads or in their hands, and they lived and reigned with Christ a thousand years.
That’s the first resurrection. It’s for those of faith. But the rest of the dead lived not again until the thousand years were finished.
And this is the first resurrection. Verse 6, Blessed and holy is he that hath part in the first resurrection, on such the second death, that’s what Jesus was referring to when he was talking to Martha, hath no power. But they shall be priests of God and of Christ and reign with him a thousand years.
Just amazing. Now look at the White Throne Judgment, same chapter, verse 11. And I saw a great white throne, and him that sat on it, from whose face the earth and heaven fled away.
Remember, they are going to be disintegrated. And there was found no place for them, heaven and earth, gone. And 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 what? Works. It doesn’t say faith. It doesn’t say faith.
It says works. That’s right. Let’s look at this chart, where many of the points are abbreviated.
Revelation 20, verses 4 through 6, is the first resurrection. The Bible refers to it as the first resurrection, so you know there’s going to be another one. But it’s resurrection by faith.
It happens before the thousand-year reign. In fact, it’s the beginning of it. And John, the apostle, says, I saw the souls.
No books are opened. No one is brought before a throne for judgment. But in contrast, authority to judge is given.
Now look on the other side. Revelation 20, verses 11 and 12. This is the great white throne judgment.
This is the day of God. It happens after the thousand-year reign. Not before, after.
It says that John recorded, I saw the dead. He didn’t say, I saw the souls. The souls are someone that’s living.
I saw the dead. How that configures and the understanding of that, I have no clue what that means, in the sense of what it’s going to look like. I just read what it says.
I saw the dead. And notice it says that books were opened. In the first resurrection, there’s no books open.
Why? It’s because they get in through faith. Notice that the dead are brought before the throne. And this is quite significant.
To be brought before the throne means in position. They’re right in front of it. And in the Bible, when someone is in the presence of God, in front of him, there’s only two basic reasons.
One is to be dispatched like the angels stood in front of God, in God’s presence. Says they stand in front of him. Never at one time is an angel at the right hand of the throne of God, like you and I are with Jesus Christ.
We’re not in front of God. We’re on his right hand. Here, the dead will stand in front of the throne.
What’s so interesting is that again, either an individual is being dispatched to do something like an angel sent to do something, or it’s for judgment when it’s right in front of the throne. That’s what it means. And then it says, judged according to their works.
It never talks about faith. And we’re going to get into these works, what that actually means. In the first resurrection, the second death has no power.
Why? Because they’re rewarded by God with eternal life by their faith. That’s where that phrase, the just shall live or keep on living by faith, really clarifies this point. When we read Bible references to the first resurrection, we find no mention of judgment whatsoever.
And there is no judgment in terms of our innocence or guilt at the day of Christ either. Why? Because we have the faith of Jesus Christ and we’ve been justified. These individuals in the first resurrection, there is no judgment rendered because by faith they will continue to live.
Now, when the final resurrection happens, which is the great white throne, you have two possible outcomes. One’s positive and one is negative. That’s right.
One positive and one is negative. It says in Hebrews chapter 11, look at there for a second. The Bible refers to both of these resurrections and references the first one by faith as the better resurrection.
Why is it the better? Because there’s only one outcome, eternal life. The second one, it could go either way. Whoever’s part of that second resurrection, the white throne, it could be just and they live or unjust and they perish.
Hebrews chapter 11 verse 32. And what shall I say? What shall I more say? For the time would fail me to tell of Gideon and of Barak and of Samson and of Jephthah and of David also and Samuel and the prophets, who through faith, again, that’s the emphasis in this chapter, subdued kingdoms, wrought righteousness, obtained promises, stopped the mouths of lions. They believed God when God commissioned them or told them that they could do these things.
Quench the violence of fire, escape the edge of the sword, out of weakness were made strong, waxed valiant in fight, turned to flight the armies of the aliens. Those are the foreigners. Women received their dead, raised to life again, and others were tortured.
Not accepting deliverance that they might obtain a better resurrection. This is a comparison. Better is a comparison.
What’s the comparison? Well, you have either the first resurrection, which is eternal life by faith, and then the second one, it can go either way because works are judged. Remember, this module will help answer the question, what happens to people who don’t believe God, but are what some people call people that are good people? We’ll see the goodness of God here and still provides a way forward for them. If you look at your slide, now we filled in one, two, three, and four.
The Day of God and Judgment According to Works
The first resurrection happens at the inception of the thousand-year reign. And now we’re going to move into number five, the day of God. And the day of God is also referred to as judgment day.
The first resurrection, there is no negative judgment. The day of God captures where the enemies are consumed by fire from God. The devil is cast into the lake of fire, and the current heavens and earth are completely incinerated.
They’re melted by fervent heat. Then the great white throne judgment of the just and unjust, according to works, takes place. So what happens to these people? Because there’s two possible outcomes during this day of God.
And that’s why we need to go to Romans chapter two. Please turn to Romans chapter two. And we’re going to see that there is a judgment according to works that are acceptable to God or not acceptable to God.
And they’re in the category of works that have exhibited human compassion for their fellow man. That’s how God renders the works as acceptable or unacceptable. Romans chapter two, in verse three, it says, And thinkest thou this, O man? So he’s talking to the natural man, not the Christian.
That judges them which do such things and doeth the same, that thou shall escape the judgment of God. This is referring to judgment day. Or despises thou the riches of his goodness and forbearance and longsuffering, not knowing that the goodness of God leadeth thee to repentance.
But after thy hardness and impenitent heart, treacherous up unto thyself wrath against the day of wrath and revelation of the righteous judgment of God. That’s what we’re talking about. This fifth component in our sequence of understanding.
Who will render to every man according to what? His deeds. It doesn’t say anything about faith. It doesn’t say that the just shall continue by faith here.
Why? Because it’s not people. These are people that have not believed God. They have not moved into that category of believing God.
Yet many of these people are really good people. And God takes that into account. And we’re going to see this.
To them who by patient continuance and well-doing seek for glory and honor and immortality, eternal life. But unto them that are contentious and do not obey the truth, but obey unrighteousness and indignation and wrath, tribulation and anguish upon every soul of man that do with evil of the Jew first and also the Gentile. Wow.
See, there’s two possible options here. There’s two possible options. These are individuals that will be judged by deeds, not faith.
You know, in Daniel 12 too, it talks about that people will awake some to everlasting life and some to shame and everlasting contempt. That is not talking about the first resurrection. That is by faith.
There is no negative side of the first resurrection. Happy are they that are part of the first resurrection. It’s the better resurrection.
It says in Acts 24, 15, there’s a resurrection of the just and the unjust. When we read a resurrection with two possible outcomes in reference in scripture, it’s talking about the great white throne judgment and not the first resurrection. It’s talking about the day of God.
That’s right. Verse 10, but glory and honor and peace to every man that worketh good to the Jew first and also the Gentile, for there is no respect of persons with God. No, God looks on the heart.
Look at verse 12 of Romans chapter two. For as many as have sinned without the law shall also perish without the law. And as many as have sinned in the law shall be judged by the law.
So those individuals of Israel that had been given the law and they never believed God, which you think, how is that possible? Well, read the Old Testament. There’s many that did not believe God, that rejected God, even though they had the law, they had the promised land and everything else. But they will be judged by the law and the deeds that they did.
And as many as have sinned in the law shall be judged by the law. For not the hearers of the law are just before God, but the doers of the law shall be justified. This is the white throne judgment.
For when the Gentiles, that’s the nations that were not Israel, which have not the law do by nature the things contained in the law. These having not the law are a law unto themselves. Wow.
Which show the work of the law. They may not know all the scriptures and all that kind of thing, but they show the work of the law written in their hearts. And I’m going to show you a verse of scripture that captures what this actually means.
And basically has to do with taking care of people. Their conscience also bearing witness. So God’s going to use their own conscience in their judgment and their thoughts to mean while accusing or else excusing one another.
In the day when God shall judge the secrets of men by Jesus Christ, who is actually going to carry it out, according to my gospel. That’s right. Amazing.
Amazing. Look at Matthew chapter seven, please. Matthew chapter seven.
Matthew chapter seven. In Matthew chapter seven. Jesus Christ sums up the law and the prophets.
Often people refer to this verse as the golden rule, do unto others as you would have them do unto you. Well, it’s very clear. Jesus Christ is summarizing so much truth in Matthew chapter seven and verse 12.
Therefore, all things whatsoever you would that men should do to you, do you even, do ye even so to them? For this is the law and the prophets. He’s summing up the law and the prophets in terms of acts of compassion for our fellow man. It’s a standard of care applied to others.
How would you like to be treated? Well, then treat people that way. It just sums up the law and the prophets. This is what we’re talking about during the white throne judgments.
People will be judged based on their care for other people. Turn to Matthew chapter 25. And let’s see this more vividly regarding Jesus Christ as he explains in Matthew 25, the end times.
And what he’s talking about is the final judgment of God that has been given to him to carry out. In Matthew 25, in verse 31, when the son of man, and again, remember when it says son of man, it’s either referencing his humanity or his responsibility to judge. When the son of man shall come in his glory and all the angels with him, then shall he sit upon the throne of his glory.
And before him shall be gathered all nations. It doesn’t say just Israel. It says all nations.
This is all people. This is after the first resurrection, after all the people of faith have been resurrected and lived with Christ for a thousand years. It says, and he shall separate them one from another as a shepherd divided his sheep from the goats, verse 33, and he shall set the sheep on his right hand, but the goats on the left.
The sheeps and the goats are figurative references to people. Then shall the king say unto them on his right hand, come ye blessed of my father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world. Watch this closely.
For I was hungered and you gave me meat. I was thirsty and you gave me drink. I was a stranger and you took me in naked and you clothed me.
I was sick and you visited me. I was in prison and you came unto me. Then shall the righteous answer him saying, Lord, when saw we thee and hungered and fed thee or thirsty and gave thee to drink? When saw we thee a stranger and took thee in or naked and clothed thee? Or when saw we thee sick or in prison and came unto thee? And the king shall answer and say unto them, Verily I say unto you, in so much as you have done it unto the one of the least of these my brethren, you have done it unto me.
And he’s not talking about strictly Israel. He’s talking about the nations. As the son of man, he is the quintessential example of mankind.
He represents all mankind. Just like Adam represented all mankind in a bad decision. Jesus Christ represented and represents all mankind in a good decision.
Verse 41. Then shall he also say unto them on his left, on the left hand, depart from me ye cursed unto everlasting fire prepared for the devil and his angels. For I was in hungered and you gave me no meat.
I was thirsty and you gave me no drink. I was a stranger and you took me not in. Naked and you clothed me not.
Sick and in prison and you visited me not. Now these are just categories. It doesn’t necessarily mean that it requires somebody to be fed or not fed.
These are categories of compassion and care for our fellow man. That’s the point. Verse 44.
Then shall they also answer him saying, Lord, when saw we thee in hungered or a thirst or a stranger or naked or sick or in prison and did not minister unto thee. His answer is simple. Then shall he answer them saying, Verily I say unto you, in so much as you did it not to one of the least of these, you did it not to me.
Why? Because he’s the son of man. He represents mankind. So when we take care of our fellow man, even though someone has never had faith in their life, there’s a way forward for them.
And these shall go away into everlasting punishment, but the righteous into life eternal. Wow. Wow.
Two Resurrections in John 5
Look at the Gospel of John, please. The Gospel of John. Let’s see both the first resurrection of faith and the resurrection according to works in one section in John chapter five, in John chapter five.
And then you can see the distinction. John chapter five in verse 24. He says, Verily, 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 or judgment, but is passed from death unto life.
This is talking about the first resurrection. Because they believed on what God had provided, which was Jesus Christ. They had faith.
And that’s why there’s no condemnation. And condemnation is the word judgment. But it’s they’ve passed from death unto life.
Verily, verily, I say unto you, the hour is coming and now is when the dead shall hear the voice of the son of God. It doesn’t say the son of man. It says the son of God.
This is the first resurrection. Why? Because there’s no judgment. That’s why it doesn’t say the son of man.
And they shall hear and they that hear shall live. For as the father hath life in himself, so he hath given to the son to have life in himself. That’s referring to the first resurrection.
And now it shifts. Watch this. Now it shifts to the white throne judgment.
And I’ve given him, verse 27, authority to execute judgment also because he’s what? It doesn’t say the son of God. It says the son of man. Because the only resurrection that has judgment in it is the last one.
Marvel not at this, for the hour is coming in which all that are in the grave shall hear his voice and shall come forth. They that have done good unto the resurrection of life. Again, part of the white throne judgment.
And they that have done evil unto the resurrection of damnation. Wow. You see it right there in one section.
Remember this slide in Revelation 20 verses 4 through 6. The first resurrection is for those by of faith. And then we have the details on either side to help us understand that there is a clear distinction between the two. Clear distinction.
The New Heavens, New Earth, and Final Restoration
Now that we’ve handled the thousand-year reign, we’ve talked about the day of God, we’ve filled in those details, what’s left? Well, the new heavens and new earth. That’s right. Look at Romans chapter 11, please.
Romans chapter 11. The new heavens and new earth. The Bible says there’s no more tears, no more death, sorrow or pain.
All of that is gone. All the judgment has been finished. And that’s when God opens the final chapter, the eternal chapter for man.
It’s the new heavens and new earth. The heavenly city represents that eternal dwelling place for God and man, comes down from heaven. And God and the Lamb are the temple representing direct access to them forever.
See, everything has to come full circle with God. Everything. God initiated life.
He initiated the heavens and the earth. And He’s been actively restoring and reconciling the heavens, the earth and mankind since there have been trouble caused by Lucifer way back when. But He will bring everything to its closure and completeness.
And that’s what the book of Revelation in so many ways helps us to understand. It helps us to understand the closure, the completed package by God Himself. And here in one verse, we can see it in Romans 11, in verse 36.
It says, for of Him, God and through Him and to Him are all things to whom be glory forever. Amen. The words of Him are referring to what’s initiated by God.
And that’s all things. He gets the glory when we recognize that everything was initiated by God. Now, He doesn’t cause evil, but He initiated free will.
And that’s where through Him comes in. Everything, every aspect and every human’s life, as well as the angelic realm, have been passed through God. In other words, He’s aware of every single thing.
And that’s where it says and to Him. In other words, He is going to bring it to a conclusion. He is going to bring it to closure.
For the Christian, it’s already been done. But for the rest of humanity and the angelic realm, that needs to be completed. And that’s a future reality that we’ve been reading about.
So all things must be brought to conclusion. He initiated this. He has been aware of it and allowed free will throughout it.
And He will bring closure to it at the end. See, that’s why we see these sequential chronological truths, 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, and 6. And this is a brief overview, if you will. And we continue to learn like everybody else.
And in future teaching, we might bring further understanding and help and illuminate further what we’re understanding. But at this point, this is the best we understand. See, God made two great covenants after the fall of man.
The Old and New Agreements
These are the Old and the New Testament. Some people think that they are referring to the books of the Bible. No, they’re actually two agreements.
They’re two testaments or two pacts. They are agreements which He will fulfill. The Old Testament is governed by the law and the prophets.
The New Testament is governed by the completed work of Christ. Jesus Christ, in fulfilling the Old Testament, He ushered in the New. Again, the new agreement in His blood and body.
Within that new agreement, God embedded a hidden and unique arrangement that did not contradict what He promised, but it went beyond it. The Bible refers to this hidden agreement or arrangement, which is a special and eternal access to God through Christ, bypassing any need for future judgment as the mystery of Christ. That’s what He refers to.
That’s that hidden part that was not known. This is the judgment-free grace given, eternal life found in the body of Christ, the Christian church. Christians have already had their day in court.
All our issues have been resolved in Christ. Jesus is the founder and perfecter of our faith who went ahead of us. Perfect and eternal access to God was given to Him before anyone else.
We will follow in His footsteps at the day of Christ, and we will enjoy eternal, unrestricted, and unlimited access to God before anyone else has access to it. Today, the Holy Spirit is revealed in Scripture, especially Romans through Thessalonians, making known who Jesus Christ is to us. The book of Revelation is about the revealing or disclosure or uncovering of Jesus Christ for the rest of humanity.
One reason why the book of Revelation is not easily understood is because it is an uncovering of Jesus Christ as He brings judgment closure to the law and prophets that Christ fulfilled, but the final judgment has not yet been delivered. The book of Revelation, in many metaphorical and literal ways, describes the culmination of the law and the prophets in terms of individual reward and judgment given to each person. That’s why this chart helps us to understand kind of a sequential chronological frame in which we can really begin to understand these things.
Part of our vision of hope as Christians is to recognize there will be justice for all humanity, regardless of race or religion, because God judges the heart and motives of man. And there will also be justice upon the devil and his fallen angels and the God-rejecting wicked. The book of Revelation helps to describe this justice reaching its end.
The book of Revelation brings closure and reckons out all accounts. There’ll be no loose ends, unresolved issues that continue into eternity. Remember, for the Christian, it’s over.
There’s no more judgment. Look at 1 Peter, chapter 1, please. There is no more judgment necessary because God has justified us, declared us innocent of Adam’s disobedience through the work of Christ.
The book of Revelation brings closure for all others who have and will die in faith and for those in whom their works will be judged, acceptable to God or not acceptable to God. In 1 Peter, chapter 1, verses 3 through 5, reads this way. Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ.
According to his great mercy, he has caused us to be born again, to live to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, to an inheritance that is imperishable, undefiled and unfading, kept in heaven for you, who by God’s power are being guarded through faith for a salvation ready to be revealed in the last time. Heavenly Father, our hearts are full of gratitude in recognition of the truth of your word to the best that we understand. And we know that we don’t understand everything.
We understand a portion. We see through a glass darkly at this time. But one day we will come face to face with our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ and we’ll know even as we are known.
We’re grateful for our time on this earth and that we can live to your glory and we can share the truth of your word to as many as you would guide us to. May the truth of your word continue to abound in the hearts of your people. May their love continue to abound one with another, approving things that are excellent until the day of Christ, as you work in us both to will and to do of your good pleasure and perform and complete your work in our lives.
As we see the day approaching, provoking one another to love and good works, not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together, but in rich fellowship sharing the work of Christ among us, looking for that glorious day that will come to pass when Christ returns for his church. We pray for each and every individual, their families and friends, and so many that will enjoy and understand this truth as the days, weeks, and years unfold. We’re grateful, Lord, for your kindness, your grace, and your mercy and your peace.
In the name of Jesus Christ, amen. Well, God bless you and thank you for being part of this course on the Anchor of the Soul.
Key Takeaways
- Salvation is presented as rescue from future punishment and as the restoration of the access to life that was lost through Adam’s disobedience.
- The Christian is justified, declared innocent, through the completed work and faith of Jesus Christ, not through personal works.
- The phrase “the just shall live by faith” is explained as continuing to live, pointing toward eternal life.
- The teaching distinguishes a first resurrection associated with faith from the later great white throne judgment according to works.
- God’s judgment of works is described as taking human compassion and care for others into account.
- The biblical timeline reaches its conclusion in the new heavens and new earth, where God brings every account to closure.
Frequently Asked Questions
Why does humanity need salvation?
The teaching traces the need for salvation to Adam’s disobedience, through which sin and death entered the world and access to the tree of life was blocked. Jesus Christ restored the way to God and eternal life.
How is the Christian saved and justified?
The Christian is saved by grace through reliance on the completed work of Jesus Christ. The teaching emphasizes confessing the Lord Jesus, believing that God raised him from the dead, and being declared innocent through the faith of Christ rather than through works.
What distinction does the teaching make between the two resurrections?
The first resurrection is presented as the resurrection of those who had faith and leads to eternal life without a judgment of guilt. The later great white throne judgment is presented as a resurrection in which people are judged according to their works, with both positive and negative outcomes.
Scripture References
Genesis 3:24; Romans 5:8–12; Ephesians 2:4–10; Romans 10:8–10; Galatians 2:16; Romans 1:16–17; Hebrews 10:37–38; Hebrews 11; Luke 23:40–43; John 11:23–27; Revelation 14:12; Revelation 20:4–15; Romans 2:1–16; Matthew 7:12; Matthew 25:31–46; John 5:24–29; Romans 11:36; 1 Peter 1:3–5; Hebrews 10:24–25
